speak, spleen-venting." This observer, Maureen Dowd of the New York Times, compared Reagan's
relaxed or somniferous crisis style with Bush's hyperkinesis: Reagan, she recalled, "sleptpeacefully" during clashes of US and Libyan planes over the Mediterranean, but "Mr. Bush, by (^)
contrast, becomes even more of a dervish" in such moments. According to Ms. Dowd, "by the time
the president came home from Camp David on Sunday afternoon, he was feeling frustrated and
testy. He was worried that the situation in Kuwait was deteriorating, and intelligence reports
showed him that the Iraqis were beginning to mass at the Kuwait-Saudi border. He was alsodisappointed in the international response." [fn 40] As Bush was approaching Washington, Bush (^)
called his press secretary, Marlin Fitzwater, to ask him his opinion about whether to pause at the
microphones on the south lawn before going into the White House. Fitzwater appears to have
supported the idea.
According to Ms. Dowd, an eyewitness, Bush was "visibly furious" when he climbed out of his
helicopter. As Bush walked towards the microphones, he was accosted by Richard Haas of the NSC
staff who thrust a cable into Bush's hands. Bush read the cable, scowling. However ugly his mood
had been before he had seen the memo, reading it sent him into an apoplectic rage. According to
White House officials, this cable contained information about the dimensions of the Iraqi troopbuildup and indicated that the Iraqi troops were moving south towards the Saudi border, and not (^)
leaving Kuwait. [fn 41] According to Ms. Dowd, this was the secret memo that "seemed to spark
the President's irritation at his news conference. In any case, Bush now launched into a violent
diatribe that left no doubt that as far as he was considered, the desired outcome was now war.
In Bush's opening statement, he summarized the result of his frenetic "speed dialing" exercise:
Oezal, Kaifu, Mulroney, Mitterrand, Kohl, Thatcher, the Emir of Kuwait had all been reached. The
alleged result:
What's emerging is nobody iwithdrawal from Iraq, from Kuwait of the Iraqi forces, and no puppes -- seems to be showing up as willing to accept anything less than totalt regime. We've been down that (^)
road, and there will be no puppet regime that will be accepted by any countries that I'm familiar
with. And there seems to be a united front out there that says Iraq, having committed brutal, naked
aggression, ought to get out and that the-- this concept of their installing some puppet leaving
behind will not be acceptable. So, we're pushing forwwill meet here in Washington with the Secretary General of the United Nations-- I mean, theard on diplomacy. We've gotten-- tomorrow I
Secretary General of NATO-- and Margaret Thatcher will be coming in here tomorrow, and I will
be continuing this diplomatic effort.
What about the situation on the ground? Had Iraq pulled out?
Iraq lied once again. They said they were going to start moving out today and we have no evidence
that they're moving out.
A question about the embassies in Kuwait City launched Bush into his enraged crescendo,punctuated by menacing histrionics:
I'm not trying to characterize threats. The threat is the vicious aggression against Kuwait. And that
speaks for itself. And anything collaterally is just simply more indication that these are outlaws --
international outlaws and renegades. And I want to see the United Nations move soon with Chapter7 sanctions. And I want to see the rest of the world join us, as they are in overwhelming numbers, to (^)
isoltate Saddam Hussein.
When asked how a puppet regime could be prevented, Bush snapped, "Just wait. Watch and learn."
Since he had made so many calls, had he tried to get through to Saddam Hussein? "No. No, I have