As Saddam Hussein came into power in 1979, the INLA began to weaken. One of the causes came from Hussein directing the country's money towards the Iran–Iraq War (1980–1989). "Political appointees and Ba'ath loyalists directed the INLA under Saddam Hussein, and a budget freeze in 1980 ended all new material acquisitions for the remaining years of Saddam's regime". Through the next two decades, many of the notable institutions of Iraq, including INLA, continued to falter, especially in the wake of the 2003 Iraq war.