The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the ensuing Gulf War in 1991 saw George H. W. Bush assemble and lead one of the largest military coalitions of nations in modern times . Confronting a major constitutional issue of murky legislation that left the wars in Korea and Vietnam without official declarations of war , Congress quickly authorized sweeping war-making powers for Bush . The leadership of George W. Bush during the War in Afghanistan and Iraq War achieved mixed results . In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks by al-Qaeda , the subsequent War on Terror that followed , and the 2003 invasion of Iraq due to Iraq 's alleged sponsorship of terrorism and possession of weapons of mass destruction , the speed at which the Taliban and Ba'ath Party governments in both Kabul and Baghdad were toppled by an overwhelming superiority of American and allied forces defied the predictions of many military experts . However , insufficient post-war planning and strategy by Bush and his advisors to rebuild those nations were costly
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Powers of the president of the United States