An embarrassing slide by former US President George W. Bush may have caused the American public to laugh, but it has angered Iraqis.
In a speech Wednesday afternoon in Dallas on Russia's war on Ukraine, Bush called the invasion of Iraq, which he ordered, “unjustified and brutal” & # 8212; before quickly corrected.
According to AFP, the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 overthrew dictator Saddam Hussein and marked the beginning of one of the bloodiest periods in the country's modern history, marked by religious wars and the rise of jihadists. p>
Between 2003 and 2011, when the US withdrew its troops, more than 100,000 civilians were killed, according to Iraq. The invasion claimed the lives of nearly 4,500 Americans.
But on Wednesday, Bush spoke of the war in Ukraine during an event hosted by his foundation. >
“I mean the decision of a man to launch a completely unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq, I mean in Ukraine,” he said in a speech, causing the audience to laugh.
“Finally πάντων & # 8212; 75 “, he added, referring to his own age, in another outburst of laughter.
The blunder video has since gone viral on the Internet, with a Twitter post viewed more than 14 million times in less than half a day.
It has also been widely accepted from the Arab media, causing outrage among Iraqis.
“The ghost of the invasion and destruction of Iraq haunts Bush Jr. “His subconscious exposed him when he mastered his language,” Iraqi journalist Omar al-Janabi wrote on Twitter. “Yes, it is a brutal and unjustified invasion that will remain the worst.” “Your nightmare,” he added.
Iraqis also took to Facebook to criticize the former US President.
” The moment of truth has come & # 8212; “The invasion of Iraq is a nightmare that plagues your conscience,” wrote Hamza Qusai.
The US-led invasion of Iraq began on March 20, 2003 from accusations that the Saddam regime possessed weapons of mass destruction. No one was ever found.
