ways of preventing Iraq from rebuilding its postwar economy, and were exploring
options for a new war to liquidate the undeniable economic achievements of the Baath
Party. Bush would have been a part of these deliberations starting at a very early phase.
A more precise outline of the coming war was issued in early March, 1990, by Bush's
political prisoner, Lyndon LaRouche. From his prison cell, LaRouche warned on March
10, 1990:
It is apparent that during the next 60 days, more or less, the world is being plunged into
the greatest pre-war crisis of the twentieth century. [...]
Israel is preparing for war. The state of Israel is now marshalled in preparation for war,
which, from one standpoint, might be described as Israel's attempted "final solution" to
the Arab problem. This means a war, presumably against Iraq and other states, and the
destruction of Jordan. [fn 25]
During June and July, this warning was seconded by King Hussein of Jordan, Yassir
Arafat of the PLO, Prince Hassan of Jordan, and Saddam Hussein himself.
The Bush regime's contributions to the orchestration of the Gulf crisis of 1990-91 were
many and indispensable. First there was a campaign of tough talking by Bush and Baker,
designed to goad the new Likud-centered coalition of Shamir (in many respects the most
belligerent and confrontational regime Israel had ever known) into postures of increased
bellicosity. Bush personally referred to Israel as one of the countries in the Middle East
that held hostages. In early March, 1990, Bush said that the US government position was
to oppose Israeli settlements not only on the West Bank of the Jordan and the Gaza Strip,
but also in East Jerusalem. A few days before that, Baker had suggested that US support
for a $400 million loan guarantee program for settling Soviet Jews in Israel would be
forthcoming only if Israel stopped setting up new settlements in the occupied territories.
Bush's mention of East Jerusalem had toughened that line. [fn 26] Baker had added some
tough talk of his own when he had told a Congressional committee that if and when the
Israeli government wanted peace, they had only to call the White House switchboard,
whose number he proceeded to give. But on June 20, Bush suspended the US dialogue
with the PLO which he had caused to be started during December, 1988. The pretext was
a staged terror incident at an Israeli beach.
July, 1990 was full of the hyperkinetic travel and diplomacy which has become George's
trademark. Over the July Fourth weekend, Bush went to Kennebunkport to prepare for
the London NATO summit and the successive Houston summit of the seven leading
industrial nations. There is evidence that he was already in the full flush of the manic
phase, and that the "read my lips" press conference and the Neil Bush affair had produced
massive psychic carnage. According to a press account, Bush passed the time in
Kennebunkport
with his usual breakneck round of throwing horseshoes, casting fishing lures, bashing
golf balls, and careening across the waves in his speedboat. Instead of arriving in London