DESERT STORM: DAY 2 : Political

On the third day of the Persian Gulf war, President Bush, speaking at a White House news conference, praised Israel’s initial restraint in the face of an Iraqi missile attack today. The President promised “the darndest search and destroy mission that’s ever been undertaken” to wipe out what’s left of Iraq’s mobile missile force. “This guy (Saddam Hussein) is not going to pull a victory out of this by waging terrorist attacks,” Bush said. “Once again, we see that no neighbor of Iraq is safe.”

Bush also said that the allied effort is proceeding well but cautioned that it “will take some time” to complete the task of liberating Kuwait. “We must be realistic,” he said. “There will be losses, there will be obstacles along the way and war is never cheap or easy.”