Former President George H.W. Bush and members of his administration are marking the 20th anniversary of the first Gulf War today with a round table discussion at Texas A&M University, happening now. To listen in to a live stream, click here
The event at Texas A&M is billed as a reunion to discuss the historical impact of the war. It will include most of the major decision makers who served in George H.W. Bush’s White House during Operation Desert Storm.
But when those names include Dick Cheney, who served as Bush’s Secretary of Defense, and Colin Powell, Bush’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, some wonder whether talk will be about history or current events?
“I think the history is still occurring, and I think the impact is still to be determined, you can draw a direct line from what happened there in 1991 to the fact that US troops are in Iraq today,” said Alan Kuperman, a professor of international politics and security at UT’s LBJ school.
He said most people in his field consider Bush’s execution of the first Gulf War was a military and diplomatic success. It’s what came after that many are still trying to understand.
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was unable to attend, however a message written by him was read out in which he said his memories of his time during Desert Storm provide "some of the proudest moments of this old soldier's life."
The panel is now receiving questions.