The term “axis of evil” is itself a portmanteau of the Axis powers of WWII (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Cold War era “ Evil Empire” (the Soviet Union as described by Ronald Reagan) Other countries were later added to the 'axis of evil' by US politicians and commentators. In response, Iran formed a political alliance that it called the ' Axis of Resistance' comprising Iran, Syria and Hezbollah. The countries originally covered by the term were Iran, Former Ba'athist Iraq, and North Korea. The notion of such an axis was used to pinpoint these common enemies of the United States and to rally the American populace in support of the War on Terror. Bush in his State of the Union address on January 29, 2002, less than five months after the 9/11 attacks, and often repeated throughout his presidency, to describe foreign governments that, during his administration, allegedly sponsored terrorism and sought weapons of mass destruction.
The phrase ' axis of evil' was first used by U.S. Accused by the US of being 'the rogue states'Īccording to Condoleezza Rice (light blue):
