AL-JAHRA, Kuwait (AP) — The legacy of former U.S. President George H.W. Bush in the Middle East takes root in the 100-hour ground war that routed Iraqi forces in Kuwait in 1991.
The Gulf War saw U.S.-led forces expel the occupying Iraqi troops of dictator Saddam Hussein. It gave birth to the network of military bases America now operates across the Persian Gulf.
However, Bush ultimately would leave the Shiite and Kurdish insurgents he urged to rise up against Saddam in 1991 to face the dictator's wrath alone. That led to thousands of deaths.
The mixed picture only extends to the presidency of his son. George W. Bush ordered the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq that overthrew Saddam, whom he once famously described as "the guy who tried to kill my dad one time."
