George H. W. Bush

==== Gulf War ====
{{Main|Gulf War}}
[[File:President Bush meets with General Colin Powell, General Scowcroft, Secretary James Baker, Vice President Quayle... - NARA - 186429.jpg|thumb|Bush meets with [[Robert Gates]], General [[Colin Powell]], Secretary [[Dick Cheney]] and others about the situation in the Persian Gulf, 1991]]

Faced with massive debts and low oil prices in the [[aftermath of the Iran–Iraq War]], Iraqi leader [[Saddam Hussein]] decided to conquer the country of Kuwait, a small, oil-rich country situated on Iraq's southern border.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=139–141}} After [[Iraqi invasion of Kuwait|Iraq invaded Kuwait]] in August 1990, Bush imposed [[Sanctions against Iraq|economic sanctions]] on Iraq and assembled a [[Coalition of the Gulf War|multi-national coalition]] opposed to the invasion.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=230–232}} Some in the administration feared that a failure to respond to the invasion would embolden Hussein to attack Saudi Arabia or Israel.{{sfn|Herring|2008|pp=908–909}} [[Robert Gates]] attempted to convince [[Brent Scowcroft]] that Bush should tone down the rhetoric but Bush insisted it was his primary concern to discourage other countries from "unanswered aggression".<ref name="gates00">{{cite news |title=Robert M. Gates Oral History |url=https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-oral-histories/robert-m-gates-deputy-director-central |access-date=29 March 2024 |agency=Miller Center |publisher=Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia}}</ref> Bush also wanted to ensure continued access to oil, as Iraq and Kuwait collectively accounted for 20 percent of the world's oil production, and Saudi Arabia produced another 26 percent of the world's oil supply.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=233}}

At Bush's insistence, in November 1990, the [[United Nations Security Council]] approved a resolution authorizing the use of force if Iraq did not withdraw from Kuwait by January 15, 1991.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=232}} Gorbachev's support and China's abstention helped ensure passage of the United Nations resolution.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=146–147, 159}} Bush convinced Britain, France, and other nations to commit soldiers to an operation against Iraq. He won important financial backing from Germany, Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=149–151}} In January 1991, Bush asked Congress to approve a joint resolution authorizing a war against Iraq.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=232–233}} Bush believed that the United Nations resolution had already provided him with the necessary authorization to launch a military operation against Iraq. Still, he wanted to show that the nation was united behind military action.{{sfn|Greene|2015|pp=160–161}} Despite the opposition of a majority of Democrats in both the House and the Senate, Congress approved the [[Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 1991]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=232–233}}

After the January 15 deadline passed without an Iraqi withdrawal from Kuwait, U.S. and coalition forces conducted a bombing campaign that devastated Iraq's power grid and communications network and resulted in the desertion of about 100,000 Iraqi soldiers. In retaliation, Iraq launched [[Scud missile]]s at Israel and Saudi Arabia, but most missiles did little damage. On February 23, coalition forces began a ground invasion into Kuwait, evicting Iraqi forces by the end of February 27. About 300 Americans and approximately 65 soldiers from other coalition nations died during the military action.{{sfn|Patterson|2005|pp=233–235}} A ceasefire was arranged on March 3, and the United Nations passed a resolution establishing a [[United Nations Iraq–Kuwait Observation Mission|peacekeeping force]] in a demilitarized zone between Kuwait and Iraq.{{sfn|Greene|2015|p=165}} A March 1991 [[Gallup (company)|Gallup]] poll showed that Bush had an approval rating of 89 percent, the highest presidential approval rating in the history of Gallup polling.{{sfn|Waterman|1996|p=337}} After 1991, the United Nations maintained economic sanctions against Iraq, and the [[United Nations Special Commission]] was assigned to ensure that Iraq did not revive its [[Iraq and weapons of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction program]].{{sfn|Patterson|2005|p=236}}