1991: Iraq Gulf War
Murtaza Hussain, Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden initially opposed the Gulf War, saying it was done without proper congressional authorization.
1991-1995: The Making of a Hawk
The early 1990s marked a return to Joe Biden’s war powers principles, leading him initially to oppose the first Gulf War. But then he flipped positions and became a leading hawk on Iraq. Biden was among the most aggressive proponents of U.S. militarism in the former Yugoslavia, while arguing that intervening to reverse a right-wing coup in Haiti wasn’t in the U.S. interest. These stances came to define the next decade- and- a- half of his work in Washington.
1991: Biden Begins Walking Back His Opposition to Gulf War
Murtaza Hussain
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As George H.W. Bush basked in the self-declared glory of the Gulf War, Joe Biden began pivoting to a hawkish stance on Iraq, saying, “I think I was proven to be wrong.”
1990s: Israel and AIPAC
Murtaza Hussain
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Joe Biden made clear that when it comes to U.S. policy in the Middle East, supporting Israel and AIPAC is what matters most
1990s: No-Fly Zone Bombings and Economic Sanctions in Iraq
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden supported the longest sustained U.S. bombing campaign since Vietnam and the most sweeping regime of economic sanctions in modern history.
1993-1995: Bosnia
Jeremy Scahill
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During the war in the former Yugoslavia, Joe Biden led the push for U.S. military intervention.
1994: U.S. Invasion of Haiti
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden faced questions about why he didn’t believe the U.S. had an obligation to stop mass killings of Haitians and reverse a right-wing coup.
1995: Effort to Replace War Powers Act With Use of Force Act
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden tried to clarify the role of Congress in U.S. military actions and to challenge executive overreach, but his legislation did not gain momentum.