Claim: Saddam Hussein was the first president of Iraq.
Evidence: Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti -LRB- Arabic : صدام حسين عبد المجيد التكريتي ; 28 April 1937 -- 30 December 2006 -RRB- was the fifth President of Iraq , serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003.