Saddam & Politics

Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq, took power with the help of the Bath Party on  July 16, 1979 and remained Iraq's president until April 9, 2003. During his reign, he was possibly the most notorious leader of the world.  He ruled the country with an iron fist and reportedly even shot his own son who did not obey his orders. Around the capital and throughout the country, he was depicted in many disguises and appearances. Saddam Hussein was always the first news item on the state-controlled TV stations and on the cover of every newspaper. While he survived several assassination attempts, like most dictators, he grew increasingly paranoid. His daily whereabouts were only known to a very small group of trusted servants. Often not even his own government knew his current location. He was on the run for months after the invasion before being caught in a "spider hole" near his home town Tikrit on December 14, 2003.  After a lengthy trial, Saddam Hussein was sentenced to death and executed by hanging on December 30, 2006.