Not Like His Father
Bush I and II each launched a war with Iraq. That's where the similarities end
The father, a former Navy pilot shot down over the Pacific in World War II, knew all too well the perils of war. Perhaps that's why he seemed more troubled by the consequences than his son. On Dec. 31, 1990, as war approached, the elder Bush wrote a moving letter to his five children about how much he enjoyed their time at Camp David over Christmas. "I guess what I want you to know as a father is this: Every human life is precious," he wrote. "When the question is asked, 'How many lives are you willing to sacrifice?'--it tears at my heart. The answer, of course, is none--none at all." But Bush added: "I look at today's crisis as 'good'vs. 'evil'--Yes, it is that clear. ... Sometimes in life you have to act as you think best--you can't compromise, you can't give in--even if your critics are loud and numerous."
And what does the father think of the son's choices? He isn't privy to the high-level intelligence his son receives, so he defers to the judgment of his first-born. Besides, one of the traits the father shares with his son is loyalty, so he will let history judge both men by their deeds and their times.
Why it began: Fear of weapons of mass destruction, fear of a larger threat
Presidential rhetoric: "Peaceful efforts to disarm the Iraqi regime have failed again and again."
Start date: March 20, 2003
Victory declared: May 1, 2003
U.S. troops sent: 160,000 at height (November 2005); now 140,000
Cost until now: $173 billion
U.S. death toll (as of 1/19/06): 2,225
Why it began: Iraq invaded Kuwait on Aug. 2, 1990.
Presidential rhetoric: "We will have taught a dangerous tyrant ... that there is no place for lawless aggression."
Start date: Jan. 17, 1991
Cease-fire: Feb. 28, 1991
U.S. troops deployed: 697,000
Cost: $61 billion ($53 billion pledged by allies)
U.S. death toll: 148 on the battlefield, 145 nonbattlefield
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