George Bush Sr. on War & Peace President of the U.S., 1989-1993; Former Republican Rep. (TX)

Sub-sections under War & Peace:
• Panama
• Saddam
• Vietnam
• Other issues under War & Peace

1989: Visit Eastern Europe to signal US support

The Hungarians were challenging Soviet power directly and moving toward multiparty elections. More astonishingly, Hungary had decided to dismantle the barbed wire demarcating its borders with Austria. Communism in Poland had lost its ferocity.

It was clear that the party's demise was sealed the next day when we went to the city of Gdansk, the home of Solidarity. President Bush was greeted in the town square by hundreds of thousands of cheering Polish workers. "Bush, Bush, Bush!" they chanted, waving American flags. "Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"

I turned to a colleague and said, "I don't think this is what Karl Marx had in mind when he said, 'Workers of the world, unite.'"

OpEd: Combat experience means caution in sending troops

And yet, Bush seemed to take extremely seriously the responsibility of sending American soldiers and sailors into a war. He agonized over sending troops into Panama, and then even more so in the days leading up to the start of the Gulf War. No doubt it was the result of his own experience as a young man, just out of Andover and thrown into the thick of the mayhem in the South Pacific. He wrote home to his parents that he hoped his younger brothers would be able to avoid combat: "I hope John and Buck and my own children never have to fight a war. Friends disappearing, lives being extinguished. It's just not right. The glory of being a career pilot has certainly worn off."

1942: Enlisted as naval aviator upon high school graduation

Students rushed to enlist, though the headmaster urged them to stay in school. "My reaction was one of shock, almost disbelief," recalled George Bush. "I didn't fully comprehend world affairs. My interests were our undefeated soccer season. Christmas vacation was only a couple of weeks away and then graduation. Then I guess that was followed by the typical American reaction that we had better do something about this. I remember the country's instant coming together for a common purpose--we wanted to fight for our country."

Poppy wrote to his parents; "I made up my mind to go into the service and be a naval aviator," he said. His mother and father pleaded with him to stay in school and go on to Yale. He promised his parents that he would at least wait until graduation in the spring of 1942.

1944: Two crewmates killed while piloting bombing mission

No one ever questioned his actions about bailing out over Chichi-Jima until he ran for President in 1992. An eyewitness to the flight in 1944 contradicted George's claim about the plane and cockpit being on fire. He said he remembered only "a puff of smoke" that quickly dissipated. Others had different recollections. George's wingman said, "he got hit and went on in, smoking."

Smoke is a critical issue in this story. If a pilot's plane was not on fire, he was trained to make a water landing in order to put his crew in a better position for rescue. George had not done that. He bailed instead.

1987: I oppose creation of an independent Palestine

After the Bushes returned to Washington, they produced a glossy campaign pamphlet of colored photos showing George praying at the Wailing Wall and approaching Auschwitz with Barbara. The flyer mailed to Jewish voters in the US was titled "George Bush. The one candidate who has proven his commitment to the Jewish people." The text quoted him as saying, "I oppose the creation of an independent Palestinian state; its establishment is inimical to the security interests of Israel, Jordan and the US." In his pamphlet, George said he was "the highest ranking US official to have seen firsthand the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz."

Humanitarian aid troops in Somalia became aggressive in 90s

Every President must quickly adopt a strategy when troubling events unfold: He can stop everything else and focus very publicly on the crisis or handle the situation while trying to stick to his official schedule. Bill remained in California but stayed in constant touch with his national security team. Then the news got worse: The body found of an American serviceman had been dragged through the streets of Mogadishu, an appalling act of barbarity orchestrated by the Somali warlord General Mohamed Aideed.

Don't measure military victory by increased body count

Somalia: let UN do peacekeeping, not US

No troops in Bosnia, because we haven't defined mission

BUSH: I vowed something, because I learned something from Vietnam: I am not going to commit US forces until I know what the mission is, until the military tell me that it can be completed, until I know how they can come out. We are helping. American airplanes are helping today on humanitarian relief for Sarajevo. But when you go to put somebody else's son or daughter into war, I think you've got to be a little bit careful, and you have to be sure that there's a military plan that can do this. You have ancient ethnic rivalries that have cropped up as Yugoslavia dissolves. It isn't going to be solved by sending in the 82d Airborne, and I'm not going to do that.

CLINTON: We can't get involved with ground forces in the quagmire, but we must do what we can. I applaud the no-fly zone, and I think we should stiffen the embargo on the Belgrade government.

Serbia: Most blame Milosevic, but others have killed too

When I was abroad I had a brief meeting with Tudjman and a meeting with the Bosnian President. We're terribly troubled by all of this and without throwing a lot of American troops into the fray, we're trying to bring about peace in the area.

No loans to Israel until West Bank settlements stop

Whatever happens, it is essential that this issue not be allowed to weaken, much less cast doubt upon, the core relationship between the US and Israel.

I have come to believe that the measure of a good relationship is not the ability to agree, but rather the ability to disagree on specifics without placing fundamentals at risk. We do this all the time with Britain: we should manage to do it with Israel.

By the grace of God, America won the cold war

I mean to speak this evening of the changes that can take place in our country, now that we can stop making the sacrifices we had to make when we had an avowed enemy that was a superpower. Now we can look homeward even more and move to set right what needs to be set right.

I will speak of those things. But let me tell you something I've been thinking these past few months. It's a kind of rollcall of honor. For the cold war didn't end; it was won. And I think of those who won it, in places like Korea and Vietnam. And some of them didn't come back. Back then they were heroes, but this year they were victors.

So now, for the first time in 35 years, our strategic bombers stand down. No longer are they on 'round-the-clock alert. There are still threats. But the long, drawn-out dread is over.

Engage US in Mideast land-for-peace talks, including Golan

We intend our engagement throughout the negotiation to be significant. We and the Soviet Union will be a driving force behind the negotiations, cajoling and pressing the parties forward. We will be doing so on the only basis possible for a comprehensive peace: Territory for peace applied to all fronts, including the Golan Heights. We will not change this fundamental policy position of ours; nor will we change our non-recognition of Israel's purported "Annexation" of the Golan Heights.

To increase the probability of a successful outcome on the Golan, I make the offer of a US Security guarantee of the border that Israel and Syria mutually agreed upon. This security guarantee--which is unprecedented and far-reaching--will affect the negotiations and their outcome far more than any symbols relating to the UN or a conference.

Fall of Berlin Wall leaves Europe whole and free

Q: Mr. President, do you think now that East Germany appears to be moving in the direction of Poland and Hungary that the rest of the Eastern Bloc can continue to resist this?

A: No, I don't think anyone can resist it, in Europe or in the Western Hemisphere.

Q: Did you ever imagine anything like this happening?

A: We've imagined it, but I can't say I foresaw this development at this stage. Now, I didn't foresee it, but imagining it--yes. When I talk about a Europe whole and free, we're talking about this kind of freedom to come and go.

Q: You don't seem elated.

A: I am not an emotional kind of guy.

Q: Well, how elated are you?

A: I'm very pleased.

Diplomacy & military capability are complementary

"Well, this doesn't square with real-world experience. Diplomacy and military capability are complementary; they're not contradictory. Creative diplomacy can help us avert conflict. Negotiations stand the greatest chance of success when they proceed from a position of strength. The fundamental lesson of this decade is simply this: Strength secures the peace. America will continue to be a force for peace and stability in the world provided we stay strong."

2007: Panama declared Day of Mourning about 1989 US invasion

Invaded Panama in 1989 to force Noriega from power

One year ago, the people of Panama lived in fear

A year ago in Poland, Lech Walesa declared that he was ready to open a dialog with the Communist rulers of that country; and today, with the future of a free Poland in their own hands, members of Solidarity lead the Polish Government.

And 1 year ago, Erich Honecker of East Germany claimed history as his guide, and he predicted the Berlin Wall would last another hundred years. And today, less than 1 year later, it's the Wall that's history.

Panama: If Americans in Canal Zone are touched, force is OK

The President: We've got a lot of hawks out there; we've got a lot of macho guys out there that want me to send somebody else's kid into battle. And what I will do is prudently assess the situation at the time. And that doesn't mean under some provocation or some denial of our rights as the USA, that I'd be afraid to use force. But for these instant hawks on Capitol Hill, they don't bother me one bit because the American people supported me by over 2 to 1, and I think I sent a strong signal to the countries represented around this table that we are not imprudently going to use the force of the US. If somebody lays a glove on an American citizen there in the Canal Zone or where we have certain treaty rights, then we've got another story.
(Interview with Latin American journalists, White House Roosevelt Room.)

1991: continuing conflict into Baghdad would be un-American

"I remember very clearly Colin Powell saying that this thing was turning into a massacre," Robert Gates, then the deputy national security adviser later recalled. "And that to continue it beyond a certain point would be un-American, and he even used the word unchivalrous." Bush agreed, and drew the war to a quick close. After the war ended, President Bush urged Iraqis to "take matters into their own hands."

For this part, Saddam Hussein came to believe that the United States lacked the commitment to follow through on its rhetoric. He saw America as unwilling to take the risks necessary for an invasion of Iraq.

1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait: "This shall not stand!"

April 1990: sent Congressional delegation to reassure Saddam

In 1990, Pres. Bush I even sent a high-level congressional delegation, led by Sen. Bob Dole, to convey his personal greetings to his good friend and to assure him that he should disregard criticisms by "the haughty and pampered press," who are out of control.

A few months later Saddam defied or misunderstood orders, and shifted from admired friend to the embodiment of evil. All such matters have been consigned to the usual repository of unwelcome fact.

1992 warning on Kuwait from Thatcher: "Don't go wobbly"

Low-balled Gulf War troop count to win US and Saudi support

In fact, the whole "truth management" strategy has been adopted and perhaps even expanded by this next generation. Whole books have been devoted to the various dishonesties of George W's statements and policies.

2002: Supported diplomacy in pre-war Iraq & didn't tell son

"Yes, I'm very worried."

"Do you think it's a mistake?"

"Yes, ma'am," Boren replied. "I think it's a huge mistake if we go in right now, this way."

"Well, his father is certainly worried and is losing sleep over it. He's up at night worried."

"Why doesn't he talk to him?"

"He doesn't think he should unless he's asked." It was the father-son distance, she said, and he didn't think he should volunteer.

"Well," Boren responded, "I understand the feeling of a father but he's a former president and an expert in this area."

Barbara shook her head solemnly, almost woefully.

Later, Boren greeted Bush senior. "Do you ever see our mutual friend, Colin?" the former president asked.

"Just sometimes."

"Be sure to tell him I sure think he's doing a good job."

Both men knew Powell was the reluctant warrior, trying to solve the Iraq problem with diplomacy.

Sold Saddam precursors for chemical weapons before Kuwait

Rumsfeld was right. In the years afterward, the Reagan and HW Bush administrations authorized the sale to Iraq of precursors to chemical and biological weapons, including anthrax and bubonic plague, as well as conventional weapons such as Chilean cluster bombs.

The 1988 gassing of thousands of Kurds hardly dimmed the enthusiasm of the two Republican administrations. In fact, US military intelligence actually expanded its contributions to the Butcher of Baghdad after the gas attack. But all of that came to an abrupt end when, on August 2, 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait. That put Saddam Hussein in control of 20% of the world's crude oil reserves. The love affair between the Republican right and the Baathist ultraright was over.

1990: Misled Saudis that Saddam massed troops on border

The President also met with the Saudi Arabian Ambassador Prince Bandar. Bush told him the Pentagon had satellite photos showing Iraqi troops massing on the Saudi border. This was false. The photos did not show what the President claimed, and Bush felt he needed to exaggerate the danger of an Iraqi invasion to obtain consent to deploy American troops on Saudi soil. Once he had Saudi consent, the President understated the number of troops he intended to deploy in Saudi Arabia. He told Prince Bandar he would send 100,000 troops when he planned to send 250,000.

2003: Invasion of Iraq undid a lifetime of work

As with many of Bush's responses to criticism, this one turned out to be false. In the book that George Herbert Walker Bush and Brent Scowcroft wrote, "A World Transformed," they detailed the "incalculable human and political costs" of occupying Iraq. Further, in April 2003, after his son had taken the country to war against Iraq, the former President agonized with his friend Scowcroft. Partners in the Scowcroft Group recalled both men bemoaning the son's actions, saying that George W. Bush "was undoing a lifetime of work."

“This will not stand” began 13-year campaign against Saddam

Called for an uprising against Saddam, but didn’t support it

Inside Iraq, the aftermath of the war was complicated. Incited by the US and its victory over Saddam, Shiite Muslims in the south, long sympathetic to neighboring Iran, and the Kurdish minority in the north began rebellions that threatened Saddam’s rule. The insurrections were brutally repressed by Saddam, and the US failed to intercede. In the north Saddam’s campaign against the Kurds was blocked by the imposition of an Iraqi no-fly zone, a humanitarian relief mission, and threats of U.S. intervention should Saddam attempt to repress the Kurdish elements there. What followed was an angry cessation of hostilities.

Survived 1993 assassination attempt in Kuwait by Saddam

OpEd: Aided Saddam even after he used chemical weapons

It is true. He used chemical weapons against his own people, but there is a phrase missing: "with the aid and support of Daddy Bush," who thought that was just fine. He continued to provide aid and support for the monster, and so did Britain.

At that time he was far more dangerous that he is today. Iraq was then a much more powerful state. And nothing was considered wrong with this. In fact, in early 1990--a couple of months before the invasion of Kuwait-- President Bush #1 sent a high-level senatorial delegation headed by Bob Dole, later the Republican presidential candidate, to Iraq to convey his greetings to his friend Saddam Hussein.

OpEd: Authorized Saddam to crush 1991 Shiite resistance

They didn't ask for any aid from the US. The most they asked for was that the US allow them access to captured Iraqi equipment. George Bush the 1st had a different idea. He authorized his friend Saddam Hussein to use air power to crush the Shiite resistance.

1991: “All means necessary” to expel Saddam from Kuwait

1990: Diplomatic solution to Kuwait forces larger crisis

"Yes, sir," Powell replied. That was the goal of both the US and the UN: Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait. If there was no war, no US servicemen would be killed.

{Adviser Brent] Scowcroft jumped on Powell. "Don't you realize that if he pulls out, it will be impossible for us to stay," Scowcroft asked. Bush nodded in agreement. It would be politically and logistically impossible to keep the troops there for an extended period. The nightmare would be for Saddam to pull out of Kuwait but stay on the border.

A diplomatic solution would in fact bring about a larger crisis. There was no diplomatic victory that could destroy Saddam's army. Looking squarely at his advisers, the president said plainly, "We have to have a war." His words hung in the air as heavily as any he had ever spoken.

Avoided “mission creep” in not attacking Baghdad

I was convinced, as were all our Arab friends and allies, that Hussein would be overthrown once the war ended. That did not and has still not happened. We underestimated his brutality and cruelty to his own people and the stranglehold he has on his country. We were disappointed, but I still do not regret my decision to end the war when we did. I do not believe in what I call “mission creep.” Our mission, as mandated by the UN, was clear: end the aggression. We did that. We liberated Kuwait and destroyed Hussein’s military machine so that he could no longer threaten his neighbors.

No second guessing; let military commanders decide details

A new world order is at stake in Kuwait

What is at stake is more than one small country; it is a big idea: a new world order, where diverse nations are drawn together in common cause to achieve the universal aspirations of mankind--peace and security, freedom, and the rule of law. Such is a world worthy of our struggle and worthy of our children's future.

The community of nations has resolutely gathered to condemn and repel lawless aggression. Saddam Hussein's unprovoked invasion--his ruthless, systematic rape of a peaceful neighbor--violated everything the community of nations holds dear. The world has said this aggression would not stand, and it will not stand. Together, we have resisted the trap of appeasement, cynicism, and isolation that gives temptation to tyrants.

Force the Butcher of Baghdad to end the Rape of Kuwait

My mind always went back to the questions: “What if Hitler’s aggression had been checked earlier on? How many lives would have been saved?”

You state that “recourse to war” could make Saddam a hero and a martyr. Yes, there may be such a risk, but the risk of having him prevail is far worse. He has been the bully in the neighborhood for a long time.

Saddam tried to make the Palestine question the rallying cry, tried to use it to cover up his brutal takeover of Kuwait. I remain determined that he not link the Palestine question, which urgently needs a solution, to the rape of Kuwait.

Saddam's choice: comply with UN or face destruction

We prefer a peaceful outcome. However, anything less than full compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 678 and its predecessors is unacceptable. There can be no reward for aggression. Nor will there be any negotiation. However, by its full compliance, Iraq will gain the opportunity to rejoin the international community. But unless you withdraw from Kuwait completely and without condition, you will lose more than Kuwait. What is at issue here is not the future of Kuwait--it will be free, its government will be restored--but rather the future of Iraq. This choice is yours to make.

I hated "Vietnam Syndrome" vilifying those who served

Bush supported the war in Vietnam, and made it clear that he thought poorly of those lads who chose not to fight. In a March 1998 letter to Tom Brokaw, who was writing a book about the WWII generation, Bush put it like this: "I have contempt for those who, when called, fail to serve. I hated the Vietnam syndrome--when people who served were vilified and spat upon. Those who ducked and dodged and fled only to let someone underprivileged take their places particularly offend my sense of honor."

1964: Any and all weapons in Vietnam, including nukes

As a freshman congressman he declared himself a staunch supporter of the war in Vietnam. "I will back the president no matter what weapons we use in Southeast Asia," he said after Pres. Lyndon Johnson escalated the war. "I am for our position in Vietnam and opposed to those who want to pull out and hand Southeast Asia to the Communist aggressors."

1968: Vietnam War is moral; South Vietnam will triumph

He reported "in every aspect of the war--political, economic and military--I saw or heard evidence of progress." He urged patience on the part of the US. "The losses the enemy is taking are heavy, and the Viet Cong are gradually losing their grip on the people in the countryside. These factors will ultimately force them to quit."

Two weeks later the enemy launched the Tet Offensive; it turned the American attitude toward the war. Still, George remained a hawk. He believed that only campus liberals believed that South Vietnam would not triumph over the north. He wrote on Easter Sunday, 1968, "I just don't buy that this is an immoral war on our part. These critics are immune to the repeated abuses, the sheer terror of the VC."

I never accepted that Vietnam was immoral

"But the point is.we had a generation of Americans that were taught about a deep conviction by professors and politicians and others that our purpose, our cause, was wrong. And then we condoned as a society certain excesses that we should have condemned. And I'm talking about an elevation of understanding about narcotics, for example, which gets right to the core of values."