Axis of evil

The phrase "axis of evil" was first used by U.S. president George W. Bush. He used it to talk about some countries that he said were helping harmful groups and trying to get powerful weapons. He said this in a speech in 2002.

The countries he talked about were Iran, Ba'athist Iraq, and North Korea. Later, Iran made a group called the "Axis of Resistance", which included Ba'athist Syria, Hezbollah and the Gaza Strip under Hamas.

Some people now use the phrase "new axis of evil" for other countries like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, often called CRINK. This idea comes from the name "Axis powers" from World War II, which included Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and the Empire of Japan.

Origins

The phrase "axis of evil" was first used by U.S. President George W. Bush in a speech in 2002. He used it to describe three countries—Iran, Iraq, and North Korea—that he believed were supporting harmful groups and trying to get powerful weapons.

The idea came from David Frum, a writer for President Bush. In his book, Frum explained that he helped write a speech about why the United States needed to take action against Iraq. He looked back at a famous speech by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Frum thought these countries were a big danger to peace, just like in World War II. He suggested calling them an "axis of evil," and President Bush used almost the same words in his speech. North Korea was added because it was trying to build nuclear weapons.

Before Bush's speech, an expert named Yossef Bodansky had written about a similar idea in 1992. He warned that Iran, Iraq, and Syria were working together and could be a serious threat.

2002 State of the Union Address

Main articles: Iraq–United States relations, Iran–United States relations during the G.W. Bush administration, North Korea–United States relations, Iraq–Iran relations, North Korea–Iran relations, and Iraq–North Korea relations

In his 2002 State of the Union Address, President Bush spoke about three countries he felt were dangerous. He talked about North Korea building weapons while its people were suffering. He mentioned Iran trying to get weapons. He was especially concerned about Iraq, saying they were hostile toward America and had tried to make dangerous materials for many years. He warned that these countries were a threat to world peace.

Bolton: "Beyond the Axis of Evil"

On May 6, 2002, a high-ranking U.S. official named John Bolton gave a speech called "Beyond the Axis of Evil." In this speech, he added three more countries to a group of nations seen as dangerous. These countries were Cuba, Libya, and Syria. They were included because they were known to support harmful activities and were trying to get very powerful weapons.

China, Russia, Iran, North Korea new axis

See also: Axis of Upheaval

In February 2022, a political commentator called China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea a group of concerning nations. After Russia began a conflict in Ukraine, another publication described the relationship between Russia and China as troubling.

In October 2023, a leader in the U.S. Senate said that Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China were a group of concerning nations. Other leaders in the U.S. made similar comments.

Also in October 2023, the leader of Israel talked about a concerning group involving Hamas and Iran.

In early 2024, leaders from a group of countries warned about a new group of nations with strong leadership, led by China and including Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Several American politicians agreed with this view.

In April 2024, a U.S. leader included China, Iran, and Russia in a group of concerning nations, saying they threatened countries like Taiwan, Israel, and Ukraine. Later, he decided to support aid for these countries despite some disagreement.

In July 2024, a British general said that Russia, China, and Iran were a new group of powerful nations posing a big threat. Another British general spoke about dangers from Russia, China's plans for Taiwan, and Iran's possible pursuit of powerful weapons.

Criticism

Some people thought it was unfair to group Iran, Iraq, and North Korea together as the "axis of evil." They believed each country had its own problems that were overlooked by putting them in the same group.

After the September 11 attacks, some officials from the United States and Iran worked together to stop dangerous groups. This teamwork stopped after the speech about the "axis of evil" was made, and Iran became less willing to work with the U.S.

Iran's leader also showed sympathy for the victims of the attacks, and the Iranian people expressed support through prayers, even though none of the attackers were from these three countries.

Other axes

Further information: Axis of Resistance and Axis of Upheaval

After 2006, some leaders and groups used the idea of an "axis" to talk about countries or groups working together.

For example, in 2006, an Israeli leader talked about Iran and Syria working together in harmful ways. In 2007, a leader from Iran said that the United States, the United Kingdom, and Israel were part of an "axis of evil."

In 2012, a writer talked about an "Authoritarian Axis" including countries like China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Some groups have also called certain countries the "Axis of Environmental Evil" for not supporting environmental agreements.

Media's use of the term

People made many funny versions of the phrase "axis of evil." Some called it the "axis of weasels" to make fun of countries that didn’t support certain actions. Others used phrases like "axis of Eve" or "asses of evil" to joke about leaders or important people. There were also songs, books, and comedy shows that used similar words for fun.

Comedians from Middle Eastern countries formed a group called the "Axis of Evil Comedy Tour." They traveled to places like Egypt and Jordan, performing funny shows for crowds of people. They wanted to use humor to connect with others and share their experiences. The phrase was also used in movies, songs, and even a CD with lullabies from different countries.