Thaindian News

Washington, Nov 13(ANI): Former United States President George W. Bush has reiterated that he does not regret his decision of initiating the 2003 invasion of Iraq, also known as the Iraq War or Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Bush has always insisted that the invasion was “to disarm Iraq of weapons of mass destruction, to end Saddam Hussein’s alleged support for terrorism, and to free the Iraqi people”.

Though no weapons of mass destruction were ever found in Iraq, the former President said that the invasion has made the world safer and freed a country from the grip of a dictator.

“In my view, what justifies everything is the removal of a threat. I mean, Saddam Hussein, weapons or no weapons, would’ve been a threat had he remained in power. But he had the capacity to make weapons. And he certainly would’ve had the money to make weapons. And he’d have been emboldened, ’cause once again the world would’ve said, Disarm. And we would’ve allowed him to stay in power,” CBS News quoted Bush, as saying.

“Sometimes you should be judged by the decisions you don’t make - in other words the decision to leave him in power. And my judgment would’ve been a decision that could’ve created enormous chaos in the world.”

“Now, as one could envision a nuclear arms race between Saddam and Iran, and then they’d have been saying, ‘Wait a minute, the failure to act created enormous stress’,” he added.

When asked if he left the world in a better place than he found it, the former President said: “Absolutely…when 50 million people who used to live under a brutal tyrant, that’s better.”

“I know people are living better on the continent of Africa thanks to the generosity of the American people…Obviously it’s gonna take time for history to tell the full story, but yeah I think it’s better,” he added.

Bush was the 43rd President of the United States, serving from 2001 to 2009. (ANI)