Rhetorical Analysis on Bush's Letter to Hussein

Ana Giorlando Feb. 4, 2013 Pithy Persuasiveness in a Letter Abroad President George Bush’s letter to President Saddam Hussein is a convincing segment intended to persuade Hussein to remove his forces from Kuwait before conflict ensues. Some critical readers believe that Bush does not provide a rational argument, but this paper is taking the standpoint that Bush not only is rational, but cogent. President George Bush is able to effectively convey his forceful message to President Saddam Hussein, expressing that Iraq must leave Kuwait through the use of establishing credibility, strength, repetition, and persuasive appeals by explaining that the world will not tolerate war and violence any longer. Bush’s letter was sent to Iraq with the purpose of reaching his primary audience of President Saddam Hussein. Hussein has a set of beliefs that differ from the rest of the world and as a result, he feels that he has the power to do what he wants. This can be assumed based on the fact that Hussein felt compelled to enter Kuwait, an ally of the United States and its coalition partners, in the first place. This act shows his fearlessness. This letter was meant for Hussein, as it was sent to him and his people directly, but there are a couple secondary audiences that can be deduced from the text. The people of the United States, who will ultimately judge President George Bush for this letter, were taken into account with statements such as, “The American people would demand the strongest possible response.” The rest of the world was not ignored though, as there was a special emphasis on pointing out the twelve Security Council Resolutions, twenty-eight countries providing military units, and the one hundred plus governments complying with the letter’s sanctions. Bush’s letter had a wide range of audiences from world’s governments, to the people of the United States, to Saddam directly; each with their own unique message.