Butcher’s Busine$$ Weblog

Mr Bush’s Iraq policy has proved deeply unpopular at home

President George W Bush has delivered a speech to mark the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. Speaking at the Pentagon, Mr Bush said “removing Saddam Hussein from power was the right decision”.

And he went on to say that the recent “surge” of US troops to Iraq has brought about “a major strategic victory in the broader war on terror”.

The speech comes amid criticism in the US of the war, with some critics pointing to its high cost.

‘Necessary costs’

In his speech, Mr Bush dismissed what he called the “exaggerated estimates” of the cost.

And he added: “The costs are necessary when we consider the cost of a strategic victory for our enemies in Iraq.”

The BBC’s Richard Lister in Washington said that the speech conspicuously lacked any references to Iraqi weapons of mass destruction – the removal of which had been the stated aim of the war.

President Bush appeared to be attempting to redefine the invasion as a mission to remove Saddam Hussein, our correspondent said.