As US president George H. W. Bush's national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft became famous for sleeping on the job. The older Bush established the annual Scowcroft Award for the senior official most liable to fall asleep during critical meetings, naming Dr Scowcroft as the first recipient.
His narcolepsy might have caused concern, given his pivotal role in shaping the US administration's foreign policy. It was Dr Scowcroft, more than any other adviser, who convinced the president to soft-pedal Ronald Reagan's 'Star Wars' defence initiative and to expel Iraqi forces from Kuwait.
But it was a sign of the respect he commanded from his colleagues that Dr Scowcroft felt comfortable dozing off during meetings. The veteran Washington insider also served as national security adviser to Gerard Ford and military assistant under Richard Nixon.
Interviewed in the Washington office of The Scowcroft Group advisory firm that he directs, Dr Scowcroft speaks in calm, measured tones that betray none of the ideological fervour of the second Bush administration.
He remains one of Mr Bush Snr's closest friends and a symbol of the rift between him and his son over Iraq. George W. Bush marginalised Dr Scowcroft for opposing US military action. Mr Bush Snr reportedly made repeated attempts to reconcile the two men. For his part, Dr Scowcroft says simply: 'It's just rumour.'
In August 2002, after failing to dissuade the George W. Bush administration through private talks, Dr Scowcroft published an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, headlined 'Don't Attack Saddam'.