In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks , U.S. president George W. Bush included Saddam in his '' Axis of evil '' . In 2002 the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1441 , which stated that Iraq had failed to fulfill its obligations demanded by the UN . The United States and the United Kingdom would use Resolution 1441 as a pretext for war . The 2003 US-led invasion of the country forced the Ba'ath Party and Saddam to go underground . Saddam was captured later that year , and was executed in 2006
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Ba'athist Iraq