He was director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 1976-81 and US vice president 1981-89. As president, his response to the Soviet leader Gorbachev's diplomatic initiatives were initially criticized as inadequate, but his sending of US troops to depose his former ally, General Noriega of Panama, proved a popular move at home. Success in the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq further raised his standing. Domestic economic problems 1991-92 were followed by his defeat in the 1992 presidential elections by Democrat Bill Clinton. Bush, son of a Connecticut senator, moved to Texas 1948 to build up an oil-drilling company. A congressman 1967-70, he was appointed US ambassador to the United Nations (1971-73) and Republican national chair (1973-74) by President Nixon, and special envoy to China 1974-75 under President Ford. During Bush's time as head of the CIA, General Noriega of Panama was on its payroll, and Panama was later used as a channel for the secret supply of arms to Iran and the Nicaraguan Contra guerrillas. Evidence came to light 1987 linking Bush with the Irangate scandal. But Noriega became uncontrollable and, in Dec 1989, Bush sent an invasion force to Panama and set up a puppet government. As president, Bush soon reneged on his election pledge of "no new taxes", but not before he had introduced a cut in capital-gains tax which predominantly benefited the richest 3% of the population. In 1990, having proclaimed a "new world order" as the Cold War was officially declared over and facing economic recession in the USA, he sent a large army to Saudi Arabia after Iraq's annexation of Kuwait, and ruled out negotiations. His response to Iraq's action contrasted sharply with his policy of support for Israel's refusal to honour various United Nations Security Council resolutions calling for its withdrawal from occupied territories, but the ousting of Iraqi forces from Kuwait was greeted as a great US victory. Despite this success, the signing of the long-awaited Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START I) July 1991, and Bush's unprecedented unilateral reduction in US nuclear weapons two months later, his popularity at home began to wane as criticism of his handling of domestic affairs mounted. After his defeat at the polls Nov 1992 and prior to handing over to his successor Democrat Bill Clinton 20 Jan 1993, Bush initiated "Operation Restore Hope" in Somalia, in which US Marines were drafted in as part of a multinational effort to deliver aid to famine-striken areas, and signed the START II treaty with Russia, which bound both countries to cut long-range nuclear weapons by two thirds by the year 2003. He also supported the more controversial bombing of strategic targets in Iraq after alleged infringements of the UN-imposed "no-fly zone".
