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Iraq war longer than expected: Bush

Washington: President Bush said on Saturday the fight in Iraq had been longer and costlier than expected, but defended the invasion, saying the world could not risk leaving Saddam Hussein’s power unchecked. He said he saw progress toward finding a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Mr. Bush acknowledged his critics who said his administration tried to link the war to the 9/11s. While it’s true that Saddam was not connected to the attacks, Mr. Bush said the decision to oust him cannot be viewed in isolation.

“In a world where terrorists armed with boxcutters had just killed nearly 3,000 people, America had to decide whether we could tolerate a sworn enemy that acted belligerently, that supported terror and that intelligence agencies around the world believed had weapons of mass destruction,” said Mr. Bush. — AP

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