George Bush Letter to President Saddam

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ASSIGNMENT QUESTION: The following is the text of a letter that U.S. President George H. Bush sent to Iraqi President Saddam Hussein on January 9th, shortly before the start of the 1991 Gulf War. In a unified and coherent essay, analyze the letter, making specific and detailed reference to the principles of expository and/or persuasive writing that we have studied in the course. Mr. President, 1. We stand today at the brink of war between Iraq and the world. This is a war that began with your invasion of Kuwait; this is a war that can be ended only by Iraq’s full and unconditional compliance with UN Security Council resolution 678. 2. I am writing to you now, directly, because what is at stake demands that no opportunity be lost to avoid what would be a certain calamity for the people of Iraq. I am writing, as well, because it is said by some that you do not understand just how isolated Iraq is and what Iraq faces as a result. 3. I am not in a position to judge whether this impression is correct; what I can do though, is try in this letter to reinforce what Secretary of State James A. Baker told your foreign minister and eliminate any uncertainty or ambiguity that might exist in your mind about where we stand and what we are prepared to do. 4. The international community is united in its call for Iraq to leave all of Kuwait without condition and without further delay. This is not simply the policy of the United States; it is the position of the world community as expressed in no less than twelve Security Council resolutions. 5. We prefer a peaceful outcome. However, anything less than full compliance with UN Security Council resolution 678 and its predecessors is unacceptable. There can be no reward for aggression. 6. Nor will there be any negotiation. Principles cannot be compromised. However, by its full compliance, Iraq will gain the

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