THE FIRST IRAQ WAR
Although called a wimp by some journalists, George H. W. Bush tried to follow Reagan's macho style. In a row with Manuel Noriega, the small-time dictator of Panama, Bush invaded a supposedly sovereign state, inflicted heavy casualties on the civilian population, captured Noriega, and jailed him. The president justified all this with his own interpretation of the commander-in-chief clause. The United Nations General Assembly condemned the invasion as a "flagrant violation of international law." Polls indicated the American public overwhelmingly approved Bush's muscle-flexing.
Bush turned next on another easily demonized dictator, Iraq's Saddam Hussein. In August 1990 Hussein's troops invaded Kuwait and quickly overran it. Rightly denouncing the assault as aggression, Bush took upon himself the role of policeman to reverse it. After a brief try for solution, he decided again to use force unilaterally, claiming with flawed precedents he could do so. Most pundits in the media sided with him but many legislators did not. He decided, therefore, to ask congress for a resolution approving force but not for a declaration war. It agreed. He then waged war on Iraq with massive force, blasting the country with air power, killing numerous civilians, and slaughtering hopelessly outgunned Iraqi troops in what journalists called a turkey shoot. He did not, however, occupy Iraq or oust Hussein. Bush's popularity zoomed to an unprecedented height and he bathed in the glory of a Caesar.
Although called a wimp by some journalists, George H. W. Bush tried to follow Reagan's macho style. In a row with Manuel Noriega, the small-time dictator of Panama, Bush invaded a supposedly sovereign state, inflicted heavy casualties on the civilian population, captured Noriega, and jailed him. The president justified all this with his own interpretation of the commander-in-chief clause. The United Nations General Assembly condemned the invasion as a "flagrant violation of international law." Polls indicated the American public overwhelmingly approved Bush's muscle-flexing.
Bush turned next on another easily demonized dictator, Iraq's Saddam Hussein. In August 1990 Hussein's troops invaded Kuwait and quickly overran it. Rightly denouncing the assault as aggression, Bush took upon himself the role of policeman to reverse it. After a brief try for solution, he decided again to use force unilaterally, claiming with flawed precedents he could do so. Most pundits in the media sided with him but many legislators did not. He decided, therefore, to ask congress for a resolution approving force but not for a declaration war. It agreed. He then waged war on Iraq with massive force, blasting the country with air power, killing numerous civilians, and slaughtering hopelessly outgunned Iraqi troops in what journalists called a turkey shoot. He did not, however, occupy Iraq or oust Hussein. Bush's popularity zoomed to an unprecedented height and he bathed in the glory of a Caesar.