Chemical and Biological Warfare

George W. Bush was the 43rd President of the United States, serving from January 21, 2001, to January 20, 2009. His main foreign policy advisors included Secretary of State Colin Powell (2001-2005) and Condoleezza Rice (2005-2009), Vice President Dick Cheney (2001-2009), and National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley (2005-2009) (Miller Center, 2017). Bush's presidency saw U.S. foreign policy extending to parts of Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. But right at the start of his time in office, the nation faced one of the biggest terrorist events ever on 9/11, which changed everything about foreign policy. In this essay, I'll talk about Bush's foreign policy strategies, describe his biggest decisions, and their impact. I'll wrap up by looking at his successes during his presidency.

Unlike other presidents, Bush didn’t get any grace period; less than eight months after he took office, the tragedy of 9/11 happened. On Tuesday, September 11, 2001, Bush was visiting a school in Sarasota, Florida, to talk about his new education reform policy (History, 2009). That's when he was told a small plane had hit the World Trade Center. At first, Bush thought it was just a horrible accident or pilot error (History, 2009). But then, he found out that a second airliner had hit the other tower. After leaving the school and getting on Air Force One, he was informed that a third plane had crashed into the Pentagon (History, 2009). Soon after, all commercial flights were grounded, and any planes still in the air were ordered to be shot down. Air Force One made brief stops in Louisiana and Nebraska to ensure the president's safety before landing in Washington DC. There, Bush and his cabinet started to deliberate on the incident (History, 2009). After meeting with his cabinet, Bush addressed the nation. This is where his foreign policy stance changed forever. He said, "We will make no distinction between those who committed these acts and those who harbor them" (U.S. Department of Defense, 2001). Bush then laid out his strategies: 1. Prevent terrorists from striking again; 2. Make it clear the U.S. was fighting against terrorism; 3. Help affected areas recover and ensure terrorists don’t shut down the economy or divide society. These strategies were put into action right away, leading to a NATO invasion of Afghanistan and the start of the "War on Terror." This included fighting al-Qaeda in Yemen, NATO involvement in Afghanistan, the Iraq Conflict, and more. Americans trusted Bush at this time; his approval rating jumped to 90% after 9/11, the highest ever recorded (Gallup, 2001).

One of Bush’s biggest decisions in foreign affairs was getting involved in the Iraq War, as a response to global terrorism. The plan aimed to solve two problems: the Iraqi government's actions toward its people and neighboring nations, and ensuring national safety, as the Bush administration believed Iraq was working with terrorist groups and developing weapons of mass destruction (Richelson, 2004). This began with Bush’s January 2002 State of the Union, where he called Iraq a member of the “Axis of Evil” and said the U.S. wouldn’t let dangerous regimes threaten others with destructive weapons (The White House, 2002). He then tried to rally the international community to join the war effort. However, the U.N. found that U.S. intelligence wasn’t strong enough to justify such involvement. While the UK agreed with the U.S., France and Germany were skeptical. In March 2003, U.N. inspectors found no significant evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Despite this, the U.S. Congress passed the “Iraq Resolution,” allowing the President to use any means necessary against Iraq. But the international community still disagreed. Colin Powell went to the U.N. to present evidence of WMDs, but most U.N. members voted to continue diplomatic talks. Nonetheless, the Bush administration went ahead with the invasion of Iraq in March 2003, without a declaration of war or U.N. support. The war’s objectives were to end Saddam Hussein’s regime, eliminate Iraq’s WMDs (which were never found), and capture terrorists. On April 9th, Baghdad fell to American control, symbolizing victory for Americans. A "Mission Accomplished" banner was displayed on the USS Abraham Lincoln, and Bush declared major combat in Iraq was over (NY Times, 2010). However, insurgency continued, leading to more military involvement in the region and ongoing conflicts.

In sum, George W. Bush’s early successes during his presidency galvanized the country and promised action against terrorism threats. He followed through on his promises, taking steps to prevent something like 9/11 from happening again. He won public support, evident through his record-breaking approval rating. But over time, his decisions led to protests and criticism, especially regarding how his administration handled foreign matters in the Middle East. To this day, the U.S. is still dealing with the aftermath of the decisions made following 9/11.