Axis of evil

The phrase "axis of evil" was first used by U.S. president George W. Bush. He used it to describe foreign governments that, during his time in office, were said to support harmful groups and try to get very powerful weapons. He said this in a big speech on January 29, 2002, not long after the sad events of September 11, 2001.

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

Recently, some people in the United States have used the phrase "new axis of evil" for a different group of countries: China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, often called CRINK. The 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 was asked to help 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 after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. Frum thought that just like in World War II, these countries were a big danger to peace. 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 and had acted aggressively in the past.

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. He believed this alliance needed strong action to stop.

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 missiles and weapons while its people were suffering. He mentioned Iran trying to get these weapons and harming others, with only a few leaders making decisions. He was especially concerned about Iraq, saying they were hostile toward America and had tried to make dangerous materials like anthrax and nerve gas for many years. He reminded listeners that Iraq had used poison gas against its own people. He warned that these countries and their allies 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 the group of nations that were seen as dangerous. These countries were Cuba, Libya, and Syria. The reason these countries were included was because they were known to support harmful activities and were trying to get or already had the ability to get very powerful weapons that could cause great harm.

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 new group of concerning nations in an article. After Russia began a conflict in Ukraine, another publication described the relationship between Russia and China as especially troubling.

In October 2023, a leader in the U.S. Senate said that Iran, North Korea, Russia, and China were a new 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 a group called 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, comparing them to strong forces from history. He said the world was facing a very dangerous time. 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 wrong to group Iran, Iraq, and North Korea together as part of the "axis of evil." They felt each country had its own unique issues that were hidden 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 cooperation stopped after the speech about the "axis of evil" was given, which made Iran less willing to work with the U.S.

Iran's leader also expressed sympathy for the victims of the attacks and the Iranian people showed 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, many 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.