The Great War time President Bush remembered in the year 2020
President Bush is remembered as a wartime president but many forget that early in his presidency he was confronted with an international incident involving US Intelligence aircraft being captured by China. This incident involved the death of a Chinese pilot but was calmly resolved by the administration allowing the return of American service members and the American aircraft that was taken into Chinese custody.
Then America was attacked on 9-11 in NY City and Washington DC and the administration calmly took charge of the situation grounding the entire air traffic for the first time in history to assure any aircraft remaining in the air were either military or possible enemy aircraft. Intelligence information indicated the planning for the attack was originated in Afghanistan where the Taliban government provided sanctuary for Osama Bin Laden and his terrorist training center. Again, calm resolute diplomacy ensued with the Afghan government as military forces were placed in the ready in neighboring countries. The diplomacy broke down when the Taliban government refused to cooperate with the American demands and an invasion was initiated to overthrow the government and capture or kill the terrorist elements led by Osama Bin Laden. The mission was successful however the leader of the terrorist group fled into a neighboring state.
America remained nervous concerned that another terror attack could take place at any time. This was compounded by events that included a sniper team systematically killing people in the Washington DC, VA and MD region. These events were followed by an event involving WMD’s, in the form of biological agent being mailed through the postal system resulting in the death of several Postal workers and the closing of the US Senate when a few ounces of anthrax was spread when a worker opened an envelope containing the WMD.
America had been at war with Iraq since the Gulf War when a ceasefire took place after America and allied forces forcefully removed Iraqi forces from Kuwait following several UN Security resolutions requesting Iraq leave peacefully. The demands of the ceasefire were that Iraq compensates Kuwait for damages and that Iraq must provide a list of WMD’s and prohibited weapon systems to the UN and then systematically destroy these items in witness of the UN Inspection team. The resolution could have been accomplished within 180 days but Saddam procrastinated and forced the UN inspectors to leave several times leading up to the Bush administration. In 1998 Saddam again failed to cooperate and as a result the US Congress passed a resolution that the US will demand a regime change regardless of whether or not Saddam lived up to the ceasefire resolution.
Because of the Clinton administration resolution for regime change in Iraq coupled with the threat learned on 9-11 the Bush administration found the unresolved situation with Iraq a national security threat. There was concern that Saddam, knowing that American government had passed law that he would be overthrown would use the enemies of his enemies to strike his enemy, America. Or, in other words Saddam would give WMD’s to Osama Bin Laden terrorists to strike America. The Bush administration, seeing the threat immediately intensified diplomacy with Iraq to meet the demands of the Gulf War ceasefire agreement. Saddam refused and only started to cooperate when a combined strike force was placed on his borders.
During the buildup of the coalition force led by America the Bush administration addressed the American people, the Congress and the United Nations as did key members of his staff. Intelligence information from American and allied sources were provided to the world and President Bush asked the congress to vote in confidence of their support for his effort to resolve the Iraq War. Bush already had authority for war from the original Gulf War that was in a ceasefire but desired a vote of confidence that the current congress supported his efforts and would fund and support his efforts to resolve the situation. America and the Congress were fully aware that war was within days from restarting as congress overwhelmingly supported the Commander in Chief’s request. There were only two or three outspoken representatives that sought a microphone to speak against the war.
Diplomacy broke down when Saddam refused to send less than fifty scientists out of Iraq to be interviewed by UN personnel about the alleged destruction of 250 tons of biological and chemical WMD’s. Saddam stated these scientists had destroyed the 250 tons of WMD’s 30 days after signing the ceasefire agreement but he had forgotten to notify the UN to witness the destruction. The scientist refused to be interviewed without Saddam witnesses or tape recorders in Iraq and as a result Bush concluded that the scientists were under duress. It was then that Saddam was given the ultimatum to either choose peace or war, Saddam’s answer was that the scientists do not want to leave Iraq.
Imagine the thoughts going through the citizens of America and Congress in these days leading up to this point. Congress knew based on the intelligence that Saddam probably had not destroyed the 250 tons of WMD’s and probably had tons more… only ounces of similar WMD’s had killed several postal workers and shut down the Senate and the Army and Marines were facing the biological and chemical nerve gas that could kill twenty thousand Americans in the initial invasion. America was afraid, the American warriors in their chemical suits were afraid… the threat was real according to all available intelligence and the order was given… Bush stated I will not trust a madman!
To be continued…