George H.W. Bush

Today’s Objective  After today’s lesson, students will be able to…  Examine H.W. Bush’s presidency and discuss his legacy  Essential Skill:  Explicitly assess information and draw conclusions

How the Cold War Really Ends

1988 Presidential Election

Keys to Victory  Reagan’s popularity benefited Bush  Reagan’s VP  Offered “kinder, gentler nation”  “No new taxes” pledge  Foreign Policy experience  Former CIA Director  Former UN Ambassador

Post-Cold War World…  “War on Drugs” intensifies  $2.5 trillion spent since 1973  Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign  Partnership for a Drug-Free America PSA "This is Your Brain on Drugs" "This is Your Brain on Drugs"  Emphasis on incarceration  25% increase in marijuana-related arrests; 6% decline in use  1989 invasion of Panama; arrest of Noriega  Critics argue “whack-a-mole” effect  Medellin/Cali Colombian cartels replaced by Sinaloa/Juarez cartels  Illicit drug users have increased to 19.9 million Americans Manuel Noriega convicted of drug trafficking & sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Post-Cold War World…  Pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square crushed  Tank Man Tank Man  Thousands arrested & killed  Condemned by Bush

Post-Cold War World…  Apartheid ended in South Africa  Nelson Mandela freed; elected in 1994  Operation “Restore Hope” in Somalia

More trouble in the Persian Gulf  August 2, 1990: Iraq invades Kuwait.  Kuwait “annexed” Saddam Hussein, Aug. 8.  Aug. 5: Bush declares will wage war to restore Kuwaiti independence if necessary.

Larger Dangers  Unchallenged Iraqi occupation of Kuwait threatened:  Saudi Arabia  Other regional Arab regimes  Israel  Oil interests  Iraq also possessed chemical and biological weapons.

Operation DESERT SHIELD  Goal: Protect Saudi Arabia  Begins August 7,  Thousands of troops transported by air  Millions of tons of equipment and fuel transported by sea.

Diplomacy  Bush Administration builds a coalition of 24 nations to confront Iraq:  23 countries provide naval forces; 22 ground troops; 12 provide air units  Other counties also help pay the bills:  U.S. costs about $60-70 billion – foreign contributions covered $50 billion (not counting services in kind).

The Role of the United Nations  Bush Administration uses the UN as a forum to build and maintain the coalition against Iraq.  Gets UN to impose various sanctions upon Iraq between August and November  UN Security Council authorized use of force against Iraq if it did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.

Persian Gulf War  Operation Desert Storm launched January 16, 1991 Operation Desert Storm  January 17: air operations began  February 24: ground campaign launched  February 28: ceasefire and coalition victory.

Scud Attacks  Iraq launches missiles at Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.  Coalition responds with “Great Scud Hunt,” sending planes and special operations units to locate and destroy these weapons.

“The 100-hour War”  Coalition ground forces blast through Iraqi defenses.  Highly effective artillery and air support.  Iraqi forces not as numerous or tough as anticipated.  Failure: Republican Guard divisions escape.

Assessment  Casualties:  US – 613: 146 killed, 467 wounded.  Coalition – 410: 92 killed, 318 wounded.  Iraqi – 12,000 killed, about 86,000 surrendered.  Kuwaiti independence restored.  Iraqi strategic military capability devastated.  “We’ve kicked the Vietnam Syndrome”

Problems for the Future  Saddam Hussein remains in power in Iraq.