The Lessons of Iraq

Though Bush never invited Saddam to take a chunk of Kuwait, he badly miscalculated by misreading the dictator's goals and by trying to be nice to a bully.

"Hey, George Bush, Saddam Hussein still has a job. Do you?"

-- Campaign bumper sticker

THUS HAS THE TREMENDOUS POlitical momentum bestowed on George Bush by Desert Storm dissipated like so many grains of sand. Few Bush opponents would have anticipated that he might be vulnerable on his handling of Iraq in the aftermath of Desert Storm, when 91% of the U.S. public applauded his leadership. But now the issue appeals to Clinton and Perot as they look for ways to undermine the one area where Bush's reputation remained strong. In the final debate, Perot lobbed a bombshell -- with no...

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