Former US president George W Bush was momentarily embarrassed after he termed the invasion of Iraq as “wholly unjustified and brutal”. Bush quickly corrected himself: “I mean, [invasion] of Ukraine.”
The mix-up occurred while Bush was speaking at an event in Dallas on Wednesday.
While condemning Russia’s “rigged elections” and “elimination of political opponents”, Bush said: “The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq”.
He quickly said, “I mean, Ukraine”, and shook his head as the audience laughed.
The 75-year-old former leader jokingly reminded the audience of his age as he moved on with his speech.
Speaking in Dallas this afternoon, former President George. W Bush made a significant verbal slip-up while discussing the war in Ukraine.
He tried referencing what he described as the “wholly unjustified and brutal invasion” — but said Iraq, instead of Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/tw0VNJzKmE
— Michael Williams (@michaeldamianw) May 19, 2022
Bush, who served as the US president from 2001 to 2009, had helmed the US invasion of Iraq in 2003 under the pretext that Iraq was hiding weapons of mass destruction. The claim was proved false later.
The invasion led to years of war which left thousands dead, injured and displaced.
