Expert finds Bush's memoir faulty over 'UN resolution' explanation on Iraq war

Washington, Dec 28 (ANI): Former US President George W Bush's memoir "Decision Points" might have been straightforward, honest, and fair even while pointing out his own mistakes on big matters, but the explanation to his willingness of launching the Iraq invasion without a second U.N. Security Council resolution was not correct, according to a report by Politico.

Bush reportedly states on page 237: "From a legal standpoint, a resolution was unnecessary. Three years earlier, President Clinton and our NATO allies had removed Dictator Slobodan Milosevic from power in Serbia without an explicit U.N. resolution."

According to Michael O'Hanlon of Politico, who specializes in national security and defense policy and is also a senior author of the Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan Index projects, this explanation was not based on truth.

"In fact, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization waged an air war in 1999 designed for the narrow purpose of driving Serbia out of Kosovo. That campaign was ultimately successful, and we negotiated a deal with Milosevic's government that required Serb forces to leave Kosovo and allow a U.N. force to enter," O'Hanlon wrote.

He further said that NATO did not have a U.N. resolution for its air war, but the war was not designed to drive Milosevic from power, and it did not do so. Moreover, the coalition countries waging war did have formal NATO blessing for their effort, providing at least some partial substitution for the lack of U.N. approval.

Only in 2000, with offensive operations long over, did Milosevic leave power. He was arrested in 2001 by his own countrymen, and later transferred to The Hague for trial. He died there in 2006, he wrote further.

The author also stressed that Kosovo war was a major campaign and occurred while Bush was running for President and therefore, he cannot be excused, although some consider it a minor mistake, for failing to understand such a crucial dimension of the conflict, the report said. (ANI)