Iraq under Saddam Hussein (1979-Present) Saddam Hussein was born on April 28, 1937 in the village of al-Auja, on the outskirts of Tikrit in northern Iraq. ... In July of 1979, Saddam being the second in command, announced that the present leader General Ahmad Hassan al-Bakr had stepped down because of poor health and that he had been chosen by the Baath party as Iraq's new President, commander in chief, and head of the government as well as the party. ... Saddam recorded the whole proceedings and circulated the tape as a warning to anyone who might think to go behind Saddam'...

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• Grade Level: High School