The 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.However, the President refused to speculate when asked if he would have invaded Iraq even if he was certain Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, instead opting to dodge the question by saying that he didn't get a chance for a "do-over." By refusing to answer the question, it makes it look like he probably would have invaded Iraq regardless. While it's nice that the President has publicly admitted to making a mistake, it does sound more like a publicity stunt than anything else; an effort to raise his embarrassingly low approval ratings. Regardless of his intentions, I think most would agree with me saying that this apology comes about 4,200 men too late. Bush discussed how he was advised to withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan, but ultimately decided not to because it would "compromise his principles," according to the article. Additionally, Bush revealed that he was unprepared for war when he was elected (but to be fair, nobody was or could have been prepared for 9/11).
Bush also lamented about the recent economic crisis, but was confident that he did what needed to be done to save the economy and prevent "a huge financial meltdown." He hopes to "leave the White House with [his] head held high."
Works Cited
Zakaria, Tabassum. "Bush Calls Flawed Iraq Intelligence Biggest Regret." Reuters. 1 Dec. 2008. 2 Dec. 2008
4 comments:
I am happy that he is finally seeing all the harm he has cause the United States, starting with the war in Iraq. So many people have died for a reason that was never proved.
This is the defining quote of the Bush presidency. Now that its well known that the War in Iraq was a mistake, and the fact that our international reputation was slaughtered by that fact, I feel this calls for the new president to be candid with the American people. How can we function as a society when we're being lied to?
So bush's greatest regret is...basically the only thing he did in the presidency? I wonder what he actually things his greatest achievement is. But I agree, obama does have a lot to do. god willing he doesnt follow Bush's path.
I agree with Robin, Obama has to fix alot of problems and issues Mr.Bush has either ignored or failed to act on. I do agree with the fact that the Iraqi war should not have taken place because it took alot of money for it to happen in the first place along with millions of deaths.
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