39. "This Will Not Stand"

On Sunday August 5th, 1990, President George H. W. Bush boarded Marine One and flew from Camp David to the White House South Lawn after an intense 72 hours of international consultations concerning Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait. Though it was still early in the crisis, the President had already decided Iraq's aggression could not be rewarded, and after crossing the White House lawn that day famously declared to the White House Press Corps, "This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait." In this episode, host Sam LeBlond recounts that historic day with Dr. Richard Haass, who served as Special Assistant to President George H. W. Bush and Senior Director for Near East and South Asian Affairs on the National Security Council. Listen as Dr. Haass reflects on the planning that became Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the legacy of the Bush Administration, plus a rare recording of the President aboard the Marine One helicopter on August 5, 1990. To read the full transcript of this episode visit https://www.georgeandbarbarabush.org/podcast-transcript/.