Creating His Own Troubles in Iraq.

IRAQ; UNITED States

BUSH, George W. (George Walker), 1946-; DALLEK, Robert

This article presents comments from Robert Dallek on United States President George W. Bush's first term in office. Historians evaluating George W. Bush's first term will focus on foreign policy and, most of all, 9/11. I think they will criticize him for his early reaction, for not returning at once to Washington, D.C. Although the White House says it was worried about threats to Air Force One, it's worth noting that Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill didn't hesitate to enter war zones during World War II. That said, Bush subsequently responded fairly well to 9/11, speaking effectively for the nation and then going into Afghanistan in a measured and sensible way that gave the country some sense of an appropriate response to 9/11. Bush was told that 140,000 troops would be sufficient for the occupation of Iraq. Success in past U.S. conflicts has not been strictly the result of military leadership but rather the judgment of the President in choosing generals and setting broad strategy.