Remembering America Going to War in Iraq

Abstract

With these contemporary, contrasting histories setting the context for war in Iraq, this study returns to its initial question: Why did the United States go to war with Iraq in 1991 and 2003? By contrasting the domestic political context and the diplomatic history of each president, it concludes that George H. W. Bush went to war in 1991 against Saddam Hussein’s perceived capabilities to threaten the United States, while George W. Bush, on the other hand, went to war in 2003 against Saddam’ s perceived intentions.