BUSH: 'I Wasn't Ready To Handle Iraq'
George W. Bush says the biggest regret of his presidency was the intelligence failure concluding that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction.
When in March 2003 Bush ordered the US-led invasion of Iraq, it was largely justified on grounds that Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was building weapons of mass destruction. That later proved to be false.
"A lot of people put their reputations on the line and said the weapons of mass destruction is a reason to remove Saddam Hussein," Bush said in an interview with ABC's World News on Monday.
"That's not a do-over, but I wish the intelligence had been different, I guess," AP quoted him as saying.
When asked if he would have ordered the US-led invasion if intelligence reports had accurately indicated that Saddam did not have the weapons, Bush said, "You know, that's an interesting question. That is a do-over that I can't do. It's hard for me to speculate.”
The US president said that he was unprepared for war when he took office.
"I think I was unprepared for war. In other words, I didn't campaign and say, 'Please vote for me, I'll be able to handle an attack'," Bush said. "I didn't anticipate war,” he claimed.
Bush also expressed regret that the global financial crisis has cost jobs, saying, "I'm sorry it's happening, of course."
The National Bureau of Economic Research reported on Monday that the US economy fell into a recession in December 2007.
With low public approval ratings, two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a financial crisis, President Bush will end his eight-year presidency next month.
About President-elect Barack Obama, Bush called his victory a 'repudiation of Republicans'.
"I'm sure some people voted for Barack Obama because of me," said Bush, who leaves office on Jan. 20.
"I think most people voted for Barack Obama because they decided they wanted him to be in their living room for the next four years explaining policy. In other words, they made a conscious choice to put him in as president," said Bush.