Tag: President George H. W. Bush

Analysis: The First Gulf War Validated Five Major Weapon Systems, All-Volunteer Military

Neil W. McCabe

The First Gulf War, or Desert Shield and Desert Storm, which was a strategic failure, but an operational success came to an end Feb. 28, 1991 with President George H.W. Bush calling a halt to combat operations after the 100 hours of combined land and air offensive.

It was the culmination of months Desert Shield’s diplomacy and military build-up beginning Aug. 7, 1990, shortly after Iraq invaded and conquered its neighbor Kuwait. Desert Storm began Jan. 16, 1991 with a ferocious air campaign that prepared the battlefield for the last 100 hours.

It is important to record operations success in the ledger of a war whose memory has become awkward and difficult.

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Former Soviet Leader Gorbachev Lauds George HW Bush for Political Abilities, Character

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  Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev on Saturday expressed his “deep condolences” to the family of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush and all Americans following his death. Gorbachev worked closely with Bush to bring an end to the Cold War in the late 1980s and 1990s, and lauded the former president for his abilities as a politician and his personal character. “It was a time of great change,” he told the Interfax news agency, “demanding great responsibility from everyone. The result was the end of the Cold War and nuclear arms race.” Gorbachev said that he and his wife, Raisa, “deeply appreciated the attention, kindness and simplicity typical of George and Barbara Bush, as well as the rest of their large, friendly family.” Pavel Palazhchenko, who worked as Gorbachev’s translator during those years, said that a tireless search for common ground and mutual understanding paved the way for some of the greatest achievements in the history of U.S.-Russia relations. “Bush always took a balanced approach to things,” Palazhchenko told The Associated Press on Saturday. “He was not one to rush and took everything into account. He was always very well briefed. Gorbachev was too, and together they just looked…

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Beloved by Millions for Her No-Nonsense Can-Do Spirit, Barbara Bush Has Died

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Former First Lady Barbara Bush has died at 92 years old at her home in Texas. In recent years Mrs. Bush was unwell with frequent visits to the hospital in as she battled Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and congestive heart failure. On Sunday, the office of former President George H. W. Bush released a statement confirming after a “recent series of hospitalizations,” she has decided against seeking additional medical help and was being cared for at her home. Embed from Getty Images Barbara Pierce married George Herbert Walker Bush at age 19 while he was a young naval aviator. After World War II, the couple moved to Texas where he went into the oil business. From there, George H. W. Bush entered politics, holding a myriad of offices from congressman, to CIA Director, Vice President, and then President. During her time at the White House as the Second Lady, Mrs. Bush’s signature cause was early childhood education and adult literacy which she called, family literacy. Later on as First Lady, she launched the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy. Eight years after she and her husband left the White House, Mrs. Bush stood with her husband as their son George W. was sworn in…

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