@akkartik right. GHWB, for all his flaws, understood that enforcing the norm of sovereign borders would be undermined by a noble crusade against an evil leader. unfortunately, he failed to plan for how to find a new “normal”, a reasonably just peace, if Saddam didn’t fall to internal rivals, as his administration anticipated. the US was left unwilling to accept the peace our own war created, creating pressure to “finish the job”.