Former US President George HW Bush dead at 94

Former US President George HW Bush has died at the age of 94, a family spokesperson has announced.

Bush Senior died on Friday, about eight months after the death of his wife, Barbara Bush.

“Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died,” his son, former president George W Bush, said in a statement released on Twitter by a family spokesman.

“George H.W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for.”

US President Donald Trump hailed his “sound judgement, common sense and unflappable leadership” in a statement posted on Twitter on Saturday.

The 41st president on the United States, Bush served from 1989 to 1993, with the successful campaign to drive Saddam Hussein from Kuwait his most significant accomplishment.

The one-term president lost the 1992 election to Democrat Bill Clinton, but he went on to see his son, George W, win the White House in 2001.

Another son, Jeb, made a presidential run in 2016 but dropped out in the primaries.

Statement by the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush, on the passing of his father this evening at the age 94. pic.twitter.com/oTiDq1cE7h

— Jim McGrath (@jgm41) December 1, 2018

The son of a wealthy Republican US Senator, Bush served in the second World War and was elected to two terms in the US Congress in the 1960’s.

President Richard Nixon became Bush’s mentor, appointing him Ambassador to the United Nations in 1970.

While Nixon later resigned in disgrace, Bush, a savvy political survivor, became head of the CIA in 1976.

He served as Ronald Reagan’s vice president for eight years, before he entered the white house in 1989 after a campaign marked by negativity.

Less than a year after taking office, Bush sent troops to invade Panama and overthrow Manuel Noriega, a corrupt military ruler who had turned against the US.

The defining moment of Bush’s presidency came in August 1990, when Iraqi tanks rolled into Kuwait.

He ordered a massive military buildup, consulted with allies and worked closely with the United Nations.

American forces flooded into Saudi Arabia and established bases- a development that later future was cited by Osama Bin Laden to justify attacks against the US.

Once underway, the war did not last long as Iraqi forces fled Kuwait.

But Bush refused to order an advance towards Baghdad, opting not to topple Saddam.

In the aftermath of the war, Bush’s popularity quickly began to fade and he lost the 1992 election amid criticism of his handling of domestic affairs.

SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies