Blowback as Bush gaffes Iraq war, not Ukraine, ‘unjustified’

By MEG KINNARD
Associated Press

Former President George W. Bush is facing criticism after mistakenly describing the invasion of Iraq — which he led as commander in chief — as “brutal” and “wholly unjustified.” Bush then corrected himself to say he meant to refer to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The 75-year-old former president made the comment during a speech Wednesday night in Dallas, and jokingly blamed the mistake on his age. The comment was quickly shared on social media and drew condemnation from critics pointing to Bush’s decision to launch the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003, an inquiry into alleged weapons of mass destruction that were never discovered. A spokesman for the former president did not immediately return a message seeking comment.