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media type="youtube" key="Rc7i0wCFf8g" width="425" height="350"media type="custom" key="3766227"**//__disclaimer__//**, everything you read on this page was not found from conventional sources i did use a referance and am not claiming rights to this information it was infact pulled from a book (the American journey the quest for liberty since 1865 ) and am not claiming rights to this info. 3. Bush Takes Over   **Find out**
 * What social issues did bush promise to address when he became presidant?
 * How did a crisis in the savings and oan industry affect the economy?
 * Why was the budget deficit a major issue in the Bush administration?


 * The election of 1988

-To republicans, vice presedant bush was a prominate choice to take over after ronald reagan, and for eight years bush had loyally encouraged senator robert dole and telivision evangelist pat robertson to challenge him for the the presedential nomination. -The election of 1988 was <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">played out over the radio waves and the television broadcast channels. both parties <span style="color: rgb(33, 121, 145);">sponsored paid political advertisment. and neither party wanted <span style="color: rgb(228, 27, 27);">negative publicity from there opposition. -When it came to election time <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">bush took 53 % popular where is <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">Dukakis only took 46%. <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">bush won out when he finally took 426% above Dukakis only pulling in 111%. needless to say bush won

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-Bush brought in a wide array of experiance from the office. Before going into office he held positions in. -In his inaugural address bush stated that there was <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"a new wind is blowing"
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">The New Presidant
 * 1) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Pilot in WWII
 * 2) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Oil Business in texas
 * 3) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">served as a member of congress
 * 4) <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">and was a director of the central intelligence agency

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> <span style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">**__//"My friends, we are not the sum of our possessions. they are not the measure of our lives... we cannot hope nly to leave our children a bigger car, a bigger bank account. e must hope to give them a sense of what it means to be a loyal frines, a loving parent, a citizen who leaves his home, his neighborhood and town better than he found it."//__**

- The president still held his course trying to find a equal balance to the democratic controlled congress and up holding reagens policies. he sought out to find a equal balance.

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- In the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1988 campaign bush <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">spoke strongly against the spread of illegal drugs. He appointed <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">William bennett to lead the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">drug war. the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"Drug Czar" was to oversee the war on drugs. -The president also made it clear that the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">deficit would not allow for many anti drug programs .<span style="color: rgb(192, 192, 192);"> <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Bob Martinez the former <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 0);">governor of <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 0);">California Replaced him. -Bush also promised <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">increased attention in education and environment. In both The reagan admin had sevearly cropped spending on both, IN <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989 bush had called for a conference of the nations governors to set a national goal for education. Again he <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">stated that schools would have to raise prices to allow for these goals to be put into place. -And finally in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990 the presidant had appointed a strong defender of the environment <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Williams Reilly <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">w as put in charge of the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Environmental Protection Agency. In the same year he pushed for a bill that<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> set tougher standards to reduce air polution. these were some of the newest reforms passed since the carter administration. <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">-And to him a special threat had arose, the nuclear waste from 17 military plants that had manufactured nuclear weapons were closed, The plants were proved to be unsafe or that they had dumped nuclear waste, There has yet to be a solution for the $200 billion problem...
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Drugs, Education, and the Environment

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"> - A overgrowth of savings bank failures put pressure on the nation's finances. these S&L institutes had long financed mortgages, and loans, for americans purchasing property since the time of <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">franklin roosevelt the government had <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">insured the deposits in S&L's to encourage people to save money. -Wehn interest rates soared in the 70's <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">banks were stuck in low interest long term mortgages. -<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">The reagen admin. had led a smear campaign to deregulate S&L's ...that is to allow for <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">more freedom from a govnt. controlled economy... S&L's were able to take the money that they gain and invest it in anyway they see fit. <span style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64);">many banks sold off there mortgages, and took the money they earned to pay for high risk loans, otheres put it into junk bonds, risky securities that supposedly pay high interest. some S&L's did make it big and rolled in wealth. -Profits only continued to grow when the real estate markets remained strong. And fallin energy prices in the sent real estate into the ground. S&L's went bankrupt because the loans they made were not repaid. -Bush admin set up a federal agency, this took over failed banks, then sold them, or sold off there assets. govnt. <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">economistts estimated that bailing out S&L's would cost about $600 billion in 10 years....pointless. really.... -who is responsible you ask???...Well many blamed the reagan admin. critics stated that reagans banking officials had ignored the signs of growing economic issues... Congress to was was criticized Bank executives often made large contributions to the campaigns of senators and representatives....So more times than not bills were passed supporting the S&L's all the while discouraging investors....i know right kind of pointless isnt it?... and well, most of the bank owners only wanted in the "buissness" for there own personall gain... hipocrits! -In the 90's the federal govnt. had insurred money, and with the crash of S&L's weakened the nation's banking system.
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">The Savings and Loan Crisis

<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">-The S&L crisis added to the deficit in the fed. budget**.** and to cut it, the presidant or the congress had to either slash spending or raise alot more money... during the campaign of <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1988, Bush firmly pledged not to raise taxes.
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Reducing the Deficit

<span style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">**//__"Read my lips....NO NEW TAXES__//** "

-most of the 90's congress and the president struggled over a <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">budget that lowered the deficit .. if they failed to pass a budget by October1, the auto budget cuts called for in the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Gram-Rudman-Hollings act would go into effect. <span style="color: rgb(228, 27, 27);">When talks deadlocked the presidant let up on some talk about some new taxes. - But he insisted on a tax cut for investors who sold their stocks and bonds at a profit. this "Capital gains" tax cut would stimulate the economy... Hipocrit presidant going against his own word, but who is complaining? Democrats thats who they hardline objected, stating that the measure would only benefit rich investors... -After long days of barganing the presidant and congress reached a budget, they cut the deficit by nearly$500 billion in 5 years but they raise taxes on cig. alchole, and gas. and cut spending in some major areas.

-Bush was angered when the supreme court decided to in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989 to shoot down a texas law outlawing the burning of the american flag. The justices stated that burning the flag was protected by the first amendment as it was a form of protest. But shortly after bush called for a new amendment that would allow the states to outlaw defacing the flag. -The issue stirred heated debat. supporrters of the amendments argued that burning a beloved national symbol was not free speech but was an insult to the nation. while opponents simply stated that it would be a greater importance to support basic freedoms more so than symbols. commies..... -flag burning was now one of the nations greatist court issues...along with
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Flags and the supreme court
 * 1) abortion
 * 2) race adn sex discrimination
 * 3) and the death penalty

-Reagens admin. turned the surpreme to conservatism then in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">july of 1990 williams bennet had retired the 84 year old brenna had beent eh leader of the courts liberal branch even wrote several times defending flag burning as a form of free speech. -Bush nominated a new hampshire judge, david souter to talke brennas place. in interrogation souter avoided revealing his opinions on many issue, but he won over his opponenets and won confirmation easily. he was appointed in the surpeme court in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">October 1990

<span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center;">-Section 3 Review- <span style="display: block; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left;">1. **<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Identify: ** (a) <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">George Bush, (b) <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Michael Dukakis , (c) <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">David Souter 2. What steps did Bush take to address problems with <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">illegal drugs, the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">environment , and <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">eductaion ? 3. (a) Why did many savings and loan companies fail in the late 1980's? (b) What effect did the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">S&L crisis have on the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">economy ? 4. Why were Americans dismayed by the debate over the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">budget deficit<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">? 5. **<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Analyzing Information: ** What <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">advantages does a former <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Vice Presidant have as <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">President ? What <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">disadvantages might there be?

<span style="display: block; font-size: 200%; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); text-align: center;">4. A World in Trasition <span style="display: block; font-size: 150%; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center;">Find Out <span style="display: block; font-size: 110%; color: rgb(0, 0, 128); text-align: center;">**Vocabulary-** <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">economic sanctions, divestiture
 * <span style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: center;">What events gave Americans hope that the cold war had ended?
 * <span style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: center;">How did the United States government's response toward apartheid in South Africa change in the 1980's?
 * <span style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: center;">How did President Bush respond to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait?

-In <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1947, George Kennan warned President Truman that the United States must act firmly to contain soviet aggression. More than 40 years later in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989 the 85 year old Kennan told Congress <span style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center;">
 * //__"The time for that sort of thing has clearly passed."__//**

<span style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;">-I was a change because one of the people who created the the cold war policy was now announcing taht the cold war was over. -Collapse of the communist dictators in Europe helped to ease tensions, many people begane to wonder what form alliance might take. And in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> A <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">merica a nd the Soviet Union found themselves on the same side, a rare event in the years following WWII. <span style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center;"> <span style="display: block; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: left;"> -Since the end of World War II, soviet governments dominated the nations of Eastern Europe. Those in power brutally crushed opposition. Those who revolted, like the "<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">freedom fighters " of Hungary in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1956 were harshly "<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">put down ". However after the communist governments collapsed. dissenters, once treated as <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">enemies of the state, began to come into power. -The first sign of change took place in poland. in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1981 the polish government had outlawed <span style="color: rgb(139, 19, 19);">Solidarity, an independent labor union. However, the <span style="color: rgb(139, 19, 19);">Solidarity movement and its founder, would not be silanced. Finally, in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989, the communist's allowed Solidarity to run for the polish parliament. all of the candidates won. then a <span style="color: rgb(139, 19, 19);">Solidarity leader replaced a communist as head of the govnt. it was the start of a flood of changes in Europe capped by the election of Walesa as the president of Poland in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990 ... <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);"> -In <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">November of 1989 after months of protests by east germans, the east german government stunned the world by announcing that it was opening the wall. on <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">november 9, 1989 hundreds of east berliners streamed throught he gates to visit the west. a correspondent for the new york times described one joyous scene:
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">The End of the Cold War?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">A wall comes down- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">No single event symbolized these changes more vividly than the fall if the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">berilin wall communinst East Germany had built the wall in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1961 to prevent citizens from fleeing to the west Since that time, the walls cinder blocks and barbed wire had symbolized cold war hostility. East German bordwer guards prevented anyone from crossing into west berlin shooting many who tried to escap <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">e .<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">

<span style="display: block; color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center;">**//__" A 10 year old boy, walking across with his parents and little brother, was amazed. lookin up at dozens of west beriliners shouting greetings as he stepped onto est german soil, he doffed his baseball cap, threw his arms in the air, and cried, 'hello fans' the crowd burst into laughter."__//** -By summer of <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990 east and western germany planned on a reuniting, and after negotiations <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">NAT O and the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Soviet Union had agreed upon a time and finally on <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">October 4, 1990 Germany divided for 45 years by the cold war was a country again. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- In Rumania, dictator <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Nicolae Ceausescu resisted the tide of change and had protesters shot. however, when prodemocracy demonstrations continued, <span style="color: rgb(228, 27, 27);">Ceausescu fled. he and his wife were captured, tried, and executed in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">December 1989 the next year, Rumanian govnt. officials consulted American legal experts for advice on writing a democratic constitution. - Soviet pres. Gorbachev acepted the movement toward democratic reform in Eastern Europe. by 1990 however, serious unrest within the soviet union threatened his own power. Several soviet republics, including <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Lithuania and <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">Estonia, demanded independence. Amid the turmoill, the soviet govnt. was forced to begin new democratic reforms, including a mulitparty system. then in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990 the soviet govnt. announced that it would allow private ownership of land and buisnesses. <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">the end of communism in the soviet union seemed to be a possibility. -With the cold war possibly coming to an end, many members of congress talked about a <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"peace divided" moneu that once had funded the arms race, they said, could now go to <span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">expand social programs or reduce the deficit. bush discouraged to much optimism. he continued to believe it necessary to maintain a strong national defense. his 1990 budget called for only a <span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">small reduction in defense spending.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Moving toward democracy.- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Demonstrations against communism spread rapidly across eastenr europe. in czechoslocaka, the communist govnt. was forced to resign in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989 . the Czechs then chose as teir new prsident <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Vaclav Havel, a playwright who had ben jailed several times by the communist's....could he really be that good???
 * <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">The American response - Americans responded enthusiastically to the democratic reforms in Europe. When <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Lech Walses visited the United States in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1989 and <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Vaclav Havel followed in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1990, each received a hero's welcome. while president bush joined in the celebration, his official response was cautious. he praised the rise of democracy in the soviet bloc and promised <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 128);">some economic support.

-In <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">Feb of 1990, <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Nicaragua held electons in most observers thought that <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">daniel ortega and is sandinista party would win. but in a stunning upset <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">violeta chamoro won handily <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Ortega agreed to abide by the results. <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Pres. Bush saw the election as a victory for democracy. however, <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">ortega's brother retained control of the military. furthermore, by the end of <span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 0);">1990 chamorro's hold on power was slipping. future relations between<span style="color: rgb(128, 128, 0);"> Nicaragua and the united states remain uncertain. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">- When a federal court indicted <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Noriega on <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">drug smuggling charges. Noriega became defaint. <span style="color: rgb(246, 179, 14);">He declared a state of emergency and openly corrupetd Panama's elections. On <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">December 20, 1989, <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">President Bush sent American military forces into panama. At first, <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Noriega's army put up stiff resistance, but he soon surrendered and was taken to the united states to stand trial. the united states installed a new govnt. in Panama and offered to help rebuild the nation's shattered economy.
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">New Directions in Latin America- George Bush took a less militant approach toward affairs in Nicaragua then ronald reagan had. he did not continue to press for military aid to the contras. Instead the bush admin worked out a biparitsan agreement with the congress. under its terms the united states would provide the contras with food, clothing and medical supplies.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Inavasion of Panama- <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">For many years,<span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> Panamanian dictator <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Manuel Noriega had been considered a friend to the united states, he had helped funnel <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">american support to the <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">contras in Nicaragua . at the same time, however, he became heavily involved in <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">drug smuggling . Panama was a banking center and shipping point for <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">major drug dealers.

-Pres. Bush disaproved of the <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">return to repression. However, he refused to take strong action against the chinese govnt. he argued that the united states could better influence chinese behavior by <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">keeping diplomatic channels <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">op<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">e n. <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> - Members of congress, on the other hand, rejected the cautious appproch. they called for "<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);">economic sanctions ", or limits on trade and investment, to pressure the south african govnt. to end apartheid. in october 1986, congress passed a sanctions bill over pres. Reagans veto. the economic sanctions forbid american firms to invest in south africa or to import south african products. - At the same time, american universities. sold their stock in compaines that operated in south africa. this policy became known as <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 255);">divestiture, many buisnesses also closed their factories in south africa. -The new developments in south africa stirred questions about american policy. should the govnt. continue economic sanctions until apartheid was abolished?
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">Unrest in China- The <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">wave of reform that swept <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Europe sent shock waves through China. In the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">spring of 1989, dissent chinese students began protesting for democratic reforms. but in June, the regime <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">"put down" the protesters. Army tanks rumbled into <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Tiananmen Square. Thousands of protesters were killed or arrested. Many fled the country.
 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">A Policy Toward South Africa- The worldwide move toward democracy also seemed to spread to South Africa. During the early 1980's the south Aafrican govnt.continued to pursue the policy of apartheid, or separation of the races. Although Pres. Reagan opposed apartheid, he argued that economic actions taken against south africa would hurt the black majority by destroying jobs. Instead "constructive engagement" was created American officials kept public criticism of the south african govnt. to a minimum.


 * <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 255);">War Clouds in the Middle East- Despite hopeful signs in other parts of the world, the middle east remained a threat to world peace. after the iran-iraq war ended in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1988, Iraqi dictator <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Saddam Hussein rebuilt his military. On , his troops invaded neighboring <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Kuwait , one of the richest<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"> oil-producing nations int he Middle East. this move reminded some observers of Hitlers assault on <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">Czechoslavakia in <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1939 Would an invasion of <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Saudi Arabia f ollow?
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">A complex threat- During the <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 0);">1980's the industrial nations had become more dependent. than ever before an oil from the persain gulf. if saddam conquered saudi arabia as well as kuwait, he would control more tahn <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">80% of the oil in the region. with that power, it might be possible to <span style="background-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">cripple the economies of the western world . Additionally if saddam were not stopped, he might be able to expand his already strong military forces and attack other arab nations such as <span style="color: rgb(246, 179, 14);">Egypt and <span style="color: rgb(0, 128, 0);">Syria.
 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 128);">A world responds- <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Pres. Bush urged the Arab nations to join with other nations around the world to force <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">saddam to leave <span style="color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Kuwait. Teh united nations, including the soviet union approved a total<span style="background-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"> trade boycott of Iraq. In response, saddam held many americans and other foreigners as hostages in <span style="color: rgb(246, 179, 14);">Kuwait and <span style="color: rgb(128, 0, 128);">Iraq . if the united states or any other country bombed iraq, <span style="background-color: rgb(228, 27, 27);">he warned, these people would <span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">die in the attacks.


 * <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); font-size: 120%;">Fugitives in a Desert Drama- Americans living far from home faced an unpredictble and dangerous situation. Iraqi tanks rumbled through the streets of Kuwait City. Gunfire echoed ominously as the invaders looted Kuwaiti stores, businesss, and even hospitals. removing valuable goods and shipping them back to Iraq. Saddam allowed some foreigners to leave Kuwait. Many American citizens decided to go into hiding rather tahn be taken into custody.

<span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); text-align: center; display: block;">" I saw five Kuwaiti civilians being taken into a ...villa next to where i was hiding. their hands were tied with bedsheets. after an hour and a half, they were dragged out with their faces all bloody. the soldiers were smashing their heads against the side of the truck." - Americans started scrambling to find their own hideouts. With troops searching buidlings, they could not simply stay in their apartments. One couple lived part of the time at the top of a stairwell in a hight rise. when Iraqi troops began climbing the stairs, the americans sent steel bars down the stairs to frighten the iraqis away. It took geniouse like these to make sure that Iraqi troops would not find them.


 * War in the Persian Gulf-