George H W Bush’s Legacy and US Wars in the Middle East

FEATURING DR. STEPHEN ZUNES –  The 41st president of the US, George H. W. Bush has died. He was 94. The BBC described him as, “a war hero, a congressman, an ambassador, the head of the CIA, Ronald Reagan’s number two and, between 1989 and 1993, the most powerful man in the world.” But that description does not capture the President’s ugly legacy, particularly in Middle East foreign policy.

The eulogies so far have mostly focused on his affable nature and Presidential demeanor. President Barack Obama called him, “a humble servant,” and President Bill Clinton said he was, “Honorable, gracious and decent.”

However critics remember his actions during the First Gulf War in Iraq, and his role in the Iran Contra affair among other things.

Dr. Stephen Zunes is a Professor of Politics and International Studies at the University of San Francisco, where he serves as coordinator of the program in Middle Eastern Studies. He also serves as a senior policy analyst for Foreign Policy in Focus, a project of the Institute for Policy Studies. He is also an associate editor of Peace Review.