Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair apologized for his role in the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, acknowledging "some of the mistakes in planning."
In a Sunday interview on CNN's Fareed Zakaria GPS, Blair apologized for following incorrect intelligence reports indicating that Iraq was producing weapons of mass destruction under then-leader Saddam Hussein. But Blair pushed back against claims that he should stand trial for war crimes, standing by the coalition's removal of Hussein.
"I find it hard to apologize for removing Saddam," he told Zakaria. "I think, even from today in 2015, it is better that he's not there than that he is there."
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The comments come as Britain readies to release the results of a public inquiry into the nation's involvement in the war, The Guardian reports. Watch Blair's interview here.
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