The research concerns one of the previous presidents of Iraq who ruled from 1987 to 2006, Saddam Hussein. He was born in 1937 near Takrit and hanged in 2006. As a child he was beaten by his stepfather and despised by other children. He was an intelligent man; studied law in Egypt. Saddam was very powerful but did not use his influence in a positive way. It is important to know and understand what Saddam did wrong in the past so as not to repeat the same mistakes. Saddam is a relevant character because he had conflicts that affected practically every country in North America. Saddam Hussein was undoubtedly one of the most powerful men in the world, obviously in a negative sense. Saddam controlled his country in many aspects: political, military and cultural. First, Saddam Hussein was the president of Iraq, a position that gave him the power to lead the country, invest money, and network with other countries. . In Iraq Saddam was a dictator because the political system was an absolute monarchy. Therefore, if Saddam had an idea, he was almost certain that he could make it happen. Saddam “is a rational and political calculator who can back down at a moment's notice if his regime is threatened.” The presidential office gave him decision-making power because he did not have to consult anyone. Furthermore, Hussein could invest as much money as he wanted and wherever he wanted. The wide freedom of decision during his presidency is what makes him such a bad leader. For example, Saddam's Holy Grail was to possess a nuclear bomb. With this idea in mind, “[Saddam] was spending billions on a program to develop biological and nuclear weapons and exotic long-range delivery systems.” To achieve its goal Sa...... half of the document ......Ohost (accessed November 14, 2013). Salih, Mohammed A. "Iraq: Saddam's Execution Could Shorten Kurdish Death Trial." New York. Amsterdam News, 16 November 2006., 2, Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed 25 November 2013). Theil, Stefan, et al. "Saddam's bunkers." Newsweek 141, no. 14 (7 April 2003): 48. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed 25 November 2013). Whitelaw, Kevin, Mark Mazzetti and Thomas Omestad. 2002. “Why War?” U.S. News & World Report 133, no. 14: 16. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 12, 2013). “ENEMY OF THE STATE: The Trial and Execution of Saddam Hussein.” Kirkus Reviews 76, n. 13 (July 2008): 691. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 25, 2013).2013. "Saddam Hussein." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th edition 1. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed November 12, 2013).