From WTC to Tripoli: FROM BUSH TO OBAMA

The change

These Presidents have witnessed the main events occurred in the 21^st Century, from 9/11 to the war of Libya including the wars of Afghanistan, Iraq and the recent Arab Spring.

WHO IS BUSH?

George Walker Bush

George W. Bush was born in 1964 in Connecticut (USA). From 2001 to 2009 he was the President of the United States of America; he was the candidate of the of the Republican Party. Before becoming President he was Governor of Texas and he was a businessman.

George Bush’s first election against former vice-president Al Gore, was disputed because of the problems with the counting of the votes in Florida. The result was very tight but finally George bush became the 43^rd President of the USA, eight years after his father left the White House. He was the first President to be elected with fewer votes than his opponent since Benjamin Harrison in 1888.

FOREIGN POLICY:

Bush’s international programme can be easily divided into two periods: pre 9/11 and after 9*11. In the beginning he promoted better relations with Latin America, especially with Mexico. Relations were also good with Peru and Colombia. The terrorist attack in New York changed plans and focus was set on the Middle East.

Shortly after 9/11 US Army invaded Afghanistan as retaliation and looking for the responsible of the attack, Osama Bin Laden. But that was not enough. Bush’s administration promoted an urgent action against Iraq, arguing that Saddam Hussein possessed massive destruction weapons and it was a threat for the USA.

WHO IS OBAMA?

Barack Hussein Obama II

Barack Hussein Obama was born in 1961 in Honolulu (USA). From January the 20th 2009 he is the 44^th President of the United States of America, he was chosen candidate of the Democratic Party, after a long primary duel against Hillary Clinton, former First Lady. Before becoming President he was Illinois Senator. He had studied Law at Harvard.

Barack Obama’s election was very difficult. He ran in the Presidential primaries against the favourite candidate Hillary Clinton. Had she succeeded she would have become the First female President of the USA. After a long Campaign she won the nomination of the Democratic Party for being their candidate in the Presidential elections in 2008.

His opponent for the Republican Party was the Vietnam veteran John McCain, who had inherited George Bush’s legacy. Obama´s main strength was his campaign. He managed to beat Hillary in the primaries and then he managed to move the voters, he made the dream and hope for a better government. One of his main successes was his message for a change, that was exposed in his motto: ‘YES WE CAN’.

In January 2009 he was named President of the USA, the first Afro-American to achieve it.

FOREIGN POLICY:

Obama promoted a complete change in foreign policy. He increased the troops in Afghanistan and decreased those in Iraq. He also announced that combat missions would cease in Iraq on August 31^st 2010 and that American troops would leave in 2011. Military cooperation with Israel was enhanced. In 2009 Obama was awarded with a Noble Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".

Refering to the recent Libyan war, USA took a key role on the air raids against the Libyan air forcé in order to protect civilians and force the flight exclusion zone previously declared by the UN.

But one of the most milestones during Obama’s presidency has been the so-called Geronimo, operation that leads to the death of Bin Laden. It took place in Abbottabad, Pakistan. US Special Forces took over his secret residence on 2^nd May 2011. Important documentation as well as USB memories were confiscated. Later that same day Obama announced in a conference that Osama Bin Laden had been killed and that his body had been thrown to the sea in order to avoid any kind of peregrinations.

FRONT PAGES OF THE TWO LEGISLATURES,

THE WAR OF IRAQ (2003) AND THE LIBYAN WAR (2011)