To sum up, the position we took was that since we didn't know the internal situation in Iraq nor Saddam Hussein, that our best bet was to take counsel from the people who did know him and who did deal with him.

He also strongly opposed a precipitous withdrawal arguing that a pull-out from Iraq before the country was able to govern sustain and defend itself "would be a strategic defeat for American interests with potentially catastrophic consequences both in the region and beyond. Bush from 2001 to 2005 and assisted President Barack Obama in choosing his national security team. He is a descendant of early 19th-century British immigrants from England and Scotland along with immigrants from Denmark and Norway.

Bush from 2001 to 2005 and assisted President Barack Obama in choosing his national security team. Presidents Gerald Ford and George H.