World's Worst Dictators

Bangalore: “Dictatorship naturally arises out of democracy, and the most aggravated form of tyranny and slavery out of the most extreme liberty,” said Plato. While the world has seen many dictators, here are a few of the worst dictators of all times.

Saddam Hussein:

Saddam Hussein considered himself the incarnation of Nebuchadnezzar II. His face was seen on office buildings, schools, airports, and shops. All Iraqi currency had his picture as well.  He was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from July 1979 until April 2003. Saddam suppressed several movements, particularly Shi'a and Kurdish movements seeking to overthrow the government or achieve independence, respectively. Saddam upheld power during the Iran–Iraq War of 1980 through 1988. In 1990 he ordered the invasion and looting of Kuwait.

In March 2003, a coalition of countries led by the U.S. and U.K. invaded Iraq to overthrow Saddam, after U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair accused him of possession of weapons of mass destruction and having ties with al-Qaeda. Following Saddam’s capture on 13 December 2003, his trial took place under the Iraqi interim government. In November 2006, he was convicted of charges related to the 1982 killing of 148 Iraqi Shi'ites and was sentenced to death by hanging. His execution was then carried out in December 2006.