Final answer:
Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons on the Kurdish town of Halabja and persecuted the Kurdish and Arab Shia populations. He was not working with Al Qaeda.
Step-by-step explanation:
Saddam Hussein, the former President of Iraq, used chemical weapons on the Kurdish town of Halabja during the Iran-Iraq War in 1988. This led to the death of about 10 percent of the town's population. Hussein also subjected the Kurdish and Arab Shia populations to harsh conditions and treatment. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to suggest that Saddam Hussein was working with Al Qaeda. In fact, he was deeply opposed to Islamic fundamentalism and fought against the influence of bin Laden's ideology in Iraq.