1. President George HW Bush (1988-1992)
Presided over collapse of Soviet Union:
decreased threat of nuclear war
U.S. seen as the main superpower
Violence in Balkans
Pres. Bush and Yeltsin

2. Fighting Apartheid in South Africa
What was Apartheid?
Rigid system of segregation
Global movement for Divestment in 1980s
Divestment – withdrawing all investments
Congress imposed sanctions, but stopped short of full divestment
President Bush met with Nelson Mandela
Sun City Video

3. Operation Just Cause
Invasion of Panama by U.S. to oust Noriega (Dec. 20, 1989 – Jan. 3, 1990)
Manuel Noriega on CIA payroll ( s)
Bush Director of CIA in 1970s
Noriega working with AND against drug cartels in “War on Drugs”
Reasons for Invasion:
Safeguard U.S. citizens in Panama
Defend Human Rights and Democracy
Combat drug trafficking
Protect Torrijos-Carter Treaties
Casualties: 24 U.S. soldiers, 200 Panamanian soldiers
Civilians – 200 to 4000; fires raged throughout city
Noriega sentenced to 40 years (reduced to 30 later)
Clinton transfers Canal Zone back to Panama in 1999

4. Operation Desert Storm
First Persian Gulf War with Iraq
Kuwait was diagonal drilling into Iraq’s wells
Iraq invaded Kuwait
U.S. led UN-sanctioned effort to help Kuwait
Quick war
Few American casualties; many Iraqi casualties
Sadaam Hussein remained in power
Economic sanctions on Iraq

5. Operation Restore Hope
Somalia (Dec to May 1993)
Chaos in Somalia – local warlords vying for power
500,000 Somalis dead of starvation; 1000’s more refugees at risk
Humanitarian groups targeted for violence
Effort to ensure the success of humanitarian aid in Southern Somalia
UN sanctioned multinational force (UNITAF – Unified Task Force)
Battle of Mogadishu (1993) – Black Hawk Down