"[Bush]...[T]he biggest regret of all the presidency has to have been the intelligence failure in Iraq. A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein. It wasn't just people in my administration; a lot of members in Congress, prior to my arrival in Washington D.C., during the debate on Iraq, a lot of leaders of nations around the world were all looking at the same intelligence. And, you know, that's not a do-over, but I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess.
[Charlie] Gibson: If the intelligence had been right, would there have been an Iraq war?
Bush: Yes, because Saddam Hussein was unwilling to let the inspectors go in to determine whether or not the U.N. resolutions were being upheld. In other words, if he had had weapons of mass destruction, would there have been a war? Absolutely."
Interview with Charlie Gibson, ABC News, Dec. 1, 2008
[ Editor's Note: President George W. Bush also made the following Pro statement in an interview with Armed Forces Radio and Television Service on Aug. 18, 2003.]
"Listen, as Commander-in-Chief, I grieve for any loss of life. And I stand in -- I send my deepest sympathies to the loved ones who grieve over the loss of a soldier, a loved one. But the cause is a good cause, because we will never forget the lessons of 9/11.
This is a part of the war on terror. And the effect of what we have done in Iraq and what we're doing in Iraq will be a very positive effect on future generations of Americans, and that's very important for people to understand."
Interview with Armed Forces Radio and Television Service, Aug. 18, 2003
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