Blowback as former president Bush gaffes Iraq warfare, not Ukraine, ‘unjustified’

Former President George W. Bush is going through criticism after mistakenly describing the invasion of Iraq — which he led as commander in chief — as “brutal” and “wholly unjustified,” earlier than correcting himself to say he meant to seek advice from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“The result’s an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the choice of 1 man to launch an entirely unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq — I imply of Ukraine,” Bush stated Wednesday night time throughout a speech at his presidential middle in Dallas.

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The 75-year-old former president jokingly blamed the error on his age, shaking his head and correcting himself, drawing laughter from the group.

“Iraq, too — anyway,” he added, earlier than shifting on with out explaining the Iraq reference.

In his remarks, Bush additionally likened Ukrainian chief Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Britain’s wartime chief Winston Churchill, a comparability he additionally made earlier this month after assembly with Zelenskyy through video chat, in response to social posts from his presidential middle.

However the remark, which was shortly and broadly shared on social media, drew condemnation from critics pointing to Bush’s choice to launch a US invasion of Iraq in 2003, an inquiry into alleged weapons of mass destruction that have been by no means found.

“If you happen to have been George W. Bush, you assume you’d simply keep away from giving any speech about one man launching an entirely unjustified and brutal invasion,” former Rep. Justin Amash, I-Mich., wrote on Twitter.

“I want he would have been this sincere and important of himself 20 years, numerous lives, and trillions of {dollars} in the past,” Donald Trump Jr. stated in a tweet.

“George Bush is laughing on this clip as a result of he is aware of he and each different Iraq Battle supporter have been rewarded with riches and massive media jobs for his or her work killing one million folks, somewhat than being held accountable and shunned,” tweeted David Sirota, a former speechwriter for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential marketing campaign.

A spokesman for the previous president didn’t instantly return a message in search of remark.

Launched with a seek for suspected weapons of mass destruction that by no means materialized, the Iraq warfare resulted within the toppling of Saddam Hussein’s authorities, together with the deaths of US service members and a whole lot of 1000’s of Iraqi civilians.

All .S forces have been withdrawn on the finish of 2011, however simply three years later, American troops have been again to assist Iraq beat again ISIS terrorist group, which had swept throughout the border from Syria to realize management of a giant swath of the nation.

Since leaving workplace, via his presidential middle, Bush has centered on helping veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, together with serving to with the transition to civilian life and internet hosting leisure occasions.

Bush, whose slips of the tongue got here to be often known as “Bushisms” via his presidency, has additionally subsequently poked enjoyable on the unsuccessful WMD hunt, together with through the 2004 White Home Correspondents Dinner, as a photograph of him wanting beneath Oval Workplace furnishings appeared on a display.

“These weapons of mass destruction have gotten to be right here someplace,” he joked.

In his memoir, “Determination Factors,” Bush significantly referenced the state of affairs, writing that “Nobody was extra shocked and indignant than I used to be once we didn’t discover the weapons.”

“I had a sickening feeling each time I thought of it. I nonetheless do.”

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