BUSH SURPRISES TOP ADVISERS WITH MEDALS AT GULF WAR CEREMONY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000401700024-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: July 3, 1991
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23: CIA-RDP99-01448R000401700024-1
FILE UNLY
The Washington Post
The New York Times
The Washington Times The Wall Street Journal
The Christian Science Mon_
ito
New York Daily News
USA Today
The Chicago T ne
Date
BUSH SURPRISES TOP ADVISERS WITH MEDALS AT GULF WAR CERE JNy
By Gene Gibbons
WASHING'ICN, July 3, Reuter - President George Bush on
Wednesday presented prestigious medals to his top Gulf War
generals and advisers and then travelled to America's heartland
for patriotic festivities to mark the rout of Iraq and the U.S.
Independence Day holiday.
At a glittering white House awards ceremony attended by
ambassadors from several countries that sent troops to the Gulf,
Bush first gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to generals
Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell.
Mrs Bush helped with the presentations, borrowing her
husband's eyeglasses to see better as she fastened the gold,
blue and white decorations on the two military officers.
Schwarzkopf was the senior allied commander in the Gulf
while Powell managed the overall war effort from the Pentagon in
his role as chairman of the military Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Bush then called forward the leading civilian architects of
the war -- Secretary of State James Baker, Defence Secretary
Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft -- to
receive the highest U.S. civilian honours. Their awards had not
been announced in advance.
Tanorrow, all across this country, the birth of our nation,'' Bush ~'' said, d, refers will
July 4 Independence ;. referring to the
Jul Out I Day holiday. It will be a great Fourth of
Y think this year these festivities take on a very
special significance as we properly celebrate the safe return of
our sons and daughters fran the Gulf and honour those who have
fallen in the cause of freedom.,,
A total of 376 U.S. military personnel were killed in the
Gulf and 147 of them died in canbat to free Kuwait from Iraqi
occupation.
Bush said the 42-day war, which ended in a 100-hour ground
campaign that smashed Iraqi forces, was another turning
in America's destiny'' because it restored U.S. credibility ob
self-confidence.
welcome f ram the ~f
return t % `T
a r oungfine different from
cane hone to a count the one they left. They
ry that is confident and proud, an America
that is sure of itself and strong, an America other nations look
to for leadership,'' he said.
Not mentioned during the ceremony was a new confrontation
CO---" .I
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23: CIA-RDP99-01448R000401700024-1
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with Baghdad over its refusal to give U.N. inspectors unfettered
access to suspected Iraqi nuclear sites. U.S. officials say
there is a strong possibility of U.S. military action if that
situation is not resolved on U.N. terms.
Bush, who was to attend Desert Storm welcoming ceremonies in
Missouri and Michigan on Thursday, said that while the troops
were the heroes of the war, it was fitting to recognise
'special service that was rendered by a special few.""
Bush honoured eight officials who had important but largely
unpublicised roles with Presidential Citizens Medals. They were
Deputy Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, Deputy Secretary
of Defence Donald Atwood, De t CIA Director Richard Kerr,
Security r
v se
R
,"
r
o rt Ga es Un erscre ary of
State for Political Affairs Robert Kimrru
Defence for Policy Paul Wolfowitz Undersecretary of
vice chairman of the military chiefs ofrstaff, and Jeremiah, al the
Security Council staffer Richard Haass. REUTlER 0G GS LD
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/23: CIA-RDP99-01448R000401700024-1