President of the United States
"Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists."
George W. Bush became a wartime president on September 11, 2001 — and made the consequential decision to expand the response to Afghanistan into a global 'War on Terror' that included Iraq. His decision to invade Iraq was rooted in a genuine belief in the WMD intelligence he was presented, a conviction that deposing Saddam would transform the Middle East into a democracy, and the influence of neoconservative advisors. The intelligence turned out to be wrong, the democratic transformation did not happen, and the occupation descended into sectarian civil war. His decision to authorize the 'surge' in 2007 — adding 30,000 troops and changing strategy under Gen. Petraeus — stabilized Iraq after years of catastrophe. He left office with approval ratings below 30%. His memoir, 'Decision Points,' offers a candid account of his reasoning without abandoning the decisions themselves.
Did you know?
Bush declared 'Mission Accomplished' on May 1, 2003, on the deck of USS Abraham Lincoln — a banner that became one of the most mocked in American political history as the Iraq insurgency grew worse. He later said it was a mistake to use the banner.
March 20 – April 9, 2003 · 4,000 total casualties
The speed of Baghdad's fall seemed to validate Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's 'transformation' theory — that a smaller, faster military could defeat conventional armies cheaply. The iconic statue pull-down provided a powerful visual of liberation — though the watching crowd was small and the toppling partly staged. What the cameras didn't show was the looting of Baghdad's museums, hospitals, and ministries that began immediately, while US forces watched under orders not to intervene — Rumsfeld's dismissal: 'Stuff happens.'
November 7 – December 23, 2004 · 2,175 total casualties
Fallujah II was a tactical success but strategic pyrrhic victory. The city was cleared but the insurgency simply moved elsewhere. The battle validated Marine urban warfare doctrine and produced hard-learned tactical lessons that shaped US operations for years. But the destruction of Fallujah — 36,000 buildings damaged or destroyed — created hundreds of thousands of displaced Iraqis and deep anti-American sentiment throughout Al Anbar that fed the insurgency.
July 6, 1946
🌅 Birth
Born in New Haven, Connecticut
1968
📚 Education
Graduated Yale; joined Texas Air National Guard (avoided Vietnam)
1975
📚 Education
Earned MBA from Harvard Business School
1994–2000
milestone
Served as Governor of Texas; won reelection by landslide
September 11, 2001
milestone
9/11 attacks; launched 'War on Terror'; spoke at Ground Zero
March 20, 2003
⚔️ Battle
Ordered invasion of Iraq
Still living
milestone
Retired to Prairie Chapel Ranch, Texas; paints portraits of veterans