At least one prominent neocon is still defending President George W. Bush’s decision to invade Iraq, even as the president’s own brother is backtracking in his support.
John Bolton, Bush’s U.N. ambassador, told the Washington Examiner that he still believed the war was worth it.
“I still think the decision to overthrow Saddam was correct. I think decisions made after that decision were wrong, although I think the worst decision made after that was the 2011 decision to withdraw U.S. and coalition forces,” he said in an interview posted Thursday morning. “The people who say, oh things would have been much better if you didn’t overthrow Saddam miss the point that today’s Middle East does not flow totally and unchangeably from the decision to overthrow Saddam alone.”
Bolton want on to say that those who consider the Iraq war a mistake “can’t assume if [Hussein] had stayed in power, sweetness and light would prevail in the Middle East today.”
Bolton was believed to be considering a presidential run, but announced later on Thursday he would not be joining the 2016 race.
After former Gov. Jeb Bush told Fox News Monday that he would authorize the decision to invade Iraq, even knowing what is known now, other top 2016 contenders came out against the decision. Bush has since reversed his stance, saying Thursday that, “I would have not engaged. I would not have gone into Iraq.”
