Tony Blair defends Iraq war decision after damning report

Tony Blair apologized for his involvement in the Iraq war but insisted involvement was better than non-involvement.

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last updated 6 July 2016

Following the release of a damning report by Britain's Iraq Inquiry Committee, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at a press conference Wednesday accepted full responsibility for his decision to join the U.S.-led invasion into Iraq. Though Blair said that he feels "more sorrow, regret, and apology than you may ever know" for the decision, he disagreed with some of the criticism leveled against him in the report, including that he failed to prepare adequately and to ask enough questions.

Blair maintained that, despite the effort's failures, it would not have been better to leave Saddam Hussein in power; he claimed that doing so could have led to another Arab Spring uprising. He also underscored that the U.K. cabinet debated the decision 26 times before deciding to join the effort and that, contrary to the report's claims, the decision to go to war could not have been delayed any further. Blair also asserted that he does not believe he made the wrong choice in entering the conflict.

All that can be done now, Blair concluded, is to learn from the mistakes that were made. "The decision to go to war in Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power in a coalition of over 40 countries led by the USA, was the hardest, most momentous, most agonizing decision I took in 10 years as British prime minister," Blair said. "For that decision today I accept full responsibility, without exception and without excuse." Read more coverage of Blair's address at The Guardian.