What was Iraq like prior to Saddam Hussein's rise to power?

The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 under the justification of eliminating weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) that the government of Saddam Hussein was allegedly developing, as well as to remove him from power. The Bush administration also cited Hussein's support for terrorism and violation of human rights as reasons for the invasion. However, it was later revealed that Iraq did not possess WMDs at the time of the invasion, leading to criticism of the decision to attack Iraq.