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Bush the Elder sent the military in to provide humanitarian aid. That went quite well.

Klintoon took that successful operation and turned it into something entirely different. He decided to get into the 'nation building' game and that's when it all went to Hell.

However it should not be overlooked that Colin Powell bears a large part of the responsibility as well.

The humanitarian aid that Bush sent in the troops to provide didn't go quite well. In fact it wasn't going at all. It was being stolen by the warlords who were keeping it from those who needed it , feeding their men and suporters with and and selling it.

That's when the mission creep happened.

We had to either kick serious ass or get out at that point. Clinton chose the path that almost all politicians choose. The path of least resistence - a slow and predictable increase in the use of force but not enouph to get the job done.
That's what made Clinton a terrible foriegn policy president. That's why Bush the elder left Sadam in power. That's why we tried to use mercinaries to do our fighting for us in Afganistan , etc etc etc.

However it should not be overlooked that Colin Powell bears a large part of the responsibility as well.

I don't think that is accurate. Les Aspin (Powell's BOSS) would NOT approve of the requested equipment and the Clintoon was too busy tickling interns to give a rat's a... If you recall Les Aspin resigned in shame and disgrace and then died shortly thereafter.