Iraq instead of Ukraine: George W. Bush makes an embarrassing slip of the tongue

In a speech, former US President Bush criticizes the Russian policy under Vladimir Putin.

Iraq instead of Ukraine: George W. Bush makes an embarrassing slip of the tongue

In a speech, former US President Bush criticizes the Russian policy under Vladimir Putin. When he then wants to talk about the "decision of a single man" for the war in Ukraine, the 75-year-old gets muddled - and names the invasion of Iraq, for which he himself is responsible.

Former US President George W. Bush made an unpleasant slip of the tongue in a speech on the Ukraine war. At an event in Dallas, Texas, the 75-year-old spoke of the "decision of a single man to launch a completely unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq," referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Then he immediately corrected himself: "I mean: to Ukraine." When Bush noticed the irritation in the audience, he added, alluding to his age: "75". His reaction earned him laughter from the audience. NBC reporter Sahil Kapur shared the relevant excerpt from the speech on Twitter.

After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, a few months after Bush took office, the United States launched a "war on terror." The 2003 war in Iraq followed the invasion of Afghanistan. The military action against Iraq was justified with alleged weapons of mass destruction owned by the ruler Saddam Hussein, which were never found. The United States has since been criticized internationally for its invasion.

In his speech, Bush criticized Russian policies under Vladimir Putin. "Russian elections are rigged. Opposition figures are imprisoned or otherwise excluded from the electoral process," said the former president. The consequence is the lack of "checks and balances", i.e. a separation of powers in Russia. He also compared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksy to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who led Britain through the Second World War.

Bush was the 43rd President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and son of the 41st US President George HW Bush. After the Republican, Barack Obama moved to the White House.


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