JEB BUSH ON IRAQ
In 2003, Bush was a full-throated supporter of his brother’s decision to invade Iraq. Since then, he admitted “mistakes were made”, but has shown a consistent belief that the U.S. made the right decision by invading Iraq. At the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign, Bush said even “knowing what we know now” he would have authorized the Iraq war. In the following days, while the media and critics assailed his support, Bush hemmed and hawed, and finally reversed course to say he would not have authorized the Iraq invasion.
Authorizing The Iraq Invasion
At the beginning of the 2016 presidential campaign, Bush answered a question about the Iraq War. He said even “knowing what we know now,” he would have authorized the Iraq war. In the following days, while the media and critics assailed his support, Bush hemmed and hawed, and finally reversed course to say he would not have authorized the Iraq invasion. News outlets called his handling of this situation “embarrassing.”
2015: BUSH FIRST SAID “KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW NOW,” HE WOULD HAVE AUTHORIZED THE IRAQ INVASION
2015: In Response To Being Asked By If He Would Have Authorized The Invasion Of Iraq “Knowing What We Know Now,” Bush Gave An “Unhesitating Yes.” According to the Washington Examiner, “Is it possible that in 2016, more than a decade after the invasion of Iraq, the Republican party’s presidential nominee could become bogged down in debating whether the war was the right thing to do? The answer, a depressing one for many in the GOP, is yes — if the nominee is Jeb Bush. Fox News’ Megyn Kelly asked Bush a straightforward, concise question: ‘Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion?’ Bush’s answer was an unhesitating yes. ‘I would have, and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody,’ Bush said, ‘and so would have almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got.’” [Washington Examiner, 5/11/15]
Bush Said The Iraq War Would “Not Be One Of Those” Issues Where The World Would Find A “Big Space Between Me And My Brother.” According to NPR, “After telling a group of fundraisers behind closed doors that former President George W. Bush was one of his advisers on the Middle East, the likely 2016 GOP hopeful followed that up telling Fox News’ Megyn Kelly that he would have authorized the Iraq War — even knowing what we know now. ‘I would have, and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody,’ Bush told Kelly in an interview to air Monday night. ‘And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got.’ He added, ‘News flash to the world, if they’re trying to find places where there’s big space between me and my brother, this might not be one of those.’” [NPR, 5/11/15]
Jeb Bush On Iraq: “I Would Have [Authorized The Invasion], […] And So Would Almost Everybody That Was Confronted With The Intelligence They Got.” According to Fox News, “Former Florida GOP Gov. Jeb Bush says that he would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq but acknowledges that mistakes were made after Saddam Hussein had been removed from power, in an exclusive interview with Fox News’ Megyn Kelly. ‘I would have [authorized the invasion], and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got,’” [Fox News, 5/10/15]
THEN BUSH STARTED “HEMMING AND HAWING” WHENEVER HE WAS ASKED
Amidst The Media Scrutiny, Bush Began “Hemming And Hawing” About Authorizing The War. According to Politico, “After three days of hemming and hawing about his brother’s decision to go to war in Iraq, Jeb Bush finally came up with a clear answer: ‘Knowing what we know now, I would not invade.’ Only days earlier, Bush was aggressively dismissing ‘hypothetical’ questions about the war in an effort to end the first real controversy enveloping his likely White House run — even saying it would be ‘a disservice’ to Iraq veterans to address those questions at all.” [Politico, 5/14/15]
When Asked The Same Question About Authorizing The Iraq War, Bush “Replied ‘Yes’ Or ‘I Don’t Know,’ Or Has Refused To Answer, Depending On The Venue.” According to the Washington Post, “Jeb Bush came face-to-face here Wednesday with the perils of carrying a politically divisive family name, skirmishing with voters over the Iraq war and continuing to struggle with how to differentiate himself from his brother. Asked repeatedly in recent days whether he would have supported an Iraq invasion based on what is known now, the former Florida governor has replied ‘Yes’ or ‘I don’t know,’ or has refused to answer, depending on the venue. The stumbles mark the toughest period yet for Bush’s still-undeclared campaign and have lit a fire under his likely GOP opponents, many of whom have happily proclaimed that they would not have authorized the Iraq invasion under those conditions. Many conservative leaders and pundits are also lacerating Bush as appearing unprepared to address an obvious topic and are casting him as a tone-deaf relic of the GOP elite.” [Washington Post, 5/13/15]
BUSH SAID HE MISUNDERSTOOD THE INITIAL IRAQ QUESTION
Jeb Bush Said He Misunderstood Question About Iraq Invasion During Megyn Kelly Interview.According to the NY Times, “Jeb Bush on Tuesday sought to arrest a chorus of criticism from Democrats and some conservatives after he told an interviewer that, knowing what history has since shown about intelligence failures, he still would have authorized the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Calling in to Sean Hannity’s syndicated radio show, Mr. Bush said he had misunderstood a question that one of Mr. Hannity’s Fox News colleagues, Megyn Kelly, had asked him in an interview shown on Sunday and Monday nights. ‘I interpreted the question wrong, I guess,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘I was talking about, given what people knew then.’ The attempt at mopping-up was quick, but it did not bring the controversy to an immediate end: When Mr. Hannity asked about the 2003 Iraq invasion again, in yes-or-no fashion, Mr. Bush said he did not know what the answer would have been, saying, ‘That’s a hypothetical.’ Then, he seemed to go out of his way to absolve his brother, former President George W. Bush, who ordered the invasion: ‘Mistakes were made, as they always are in life,’ Mr. Bush said.” [NY Times, 5/12/15]
FINALLY, BUSH FULLY REVERSED COURSE AND SAID “I WOULD HAVE NOT GONE INTO IRAQ”
Jeb Bush Changed Answer In Iraq Invasion Again, Said “Knowing What We Know Now […] ‘I Would Have Not Engaged. I Would Not Have Gone Into Iraq.’” According to the New York Times, “After days of sidestepping, Jeb Bush on Thursday offered a definitive answer to the question of whether he would have authorized the invasion of Iraq in 2003 had he known about the intelligence failures at the time. Knowing what we know now, Mr. Bush said: ‘I would have not engaged. I would not have gone into Iraq.’ His reply seeks to resolve a controversy — involving judgment and family loyalty — that had hung over him for much of the week, after an interview with Fox News, in which Mr. Bush seemed to suggest he would have authorized the war in Iraq even if he knew of the intelligence failures that preceded it. Later, he said he had misunderstood the question, and, later still, said he refused to answer such hypothetical questions because they were insensitive to the families of troops who had died in Iraq.” [NY Times, 5/14/15]
BUSH EXPLAINED FAMILY LOYALTY MATTERED TO HIM AND THAT SOMETIMES COMPLICATED SIMPLE MATTERS
Jeb Bush Said “Family Loyalty Matters To Him And Sometimes That Makes Simple Answers Very Complicated.” According to CNN, “Jeb Bush’s rocky week is drawing to a close with a strikingly human admission: family loyalty matters to him and sometimes that makes simple answers very complicated. As he has explored a run for president from his unique vantage point as the son and brother of former presidents, Bush’s last name — rather than his position on immigration or the Common Core — is proving to be his biggest challenge. Time and again, he has been caught between the political necessity to differentiate himself from President George W. Bush and what appears to be an instinct to protect him. The challenge took on greater urgency this week after Bush found himself in the center of a controversy over his assessment of his brother’s decision to invade Iraq more than a decade ago.’” [CNN, 5/15/15]
MEDIA COMMENTARY:
Bush’s Stumbles Answering If He Would Have Authorized The Iraq War Exposed Him As A Bush
This Iraq Authorization Incident Highlighted “Bush’s Vulnerabilities As He Moves Closer To Formally Launching A Campaign,” Including Attempt To Define Himself “Apart From His Family Name.” According to the Washington Post, “The dispute also highlights Bush’s vulnerabilities as he moves closer to formally launching a campaign, including his lack of familiarity with the digital pace of modern politics and his difficulties in clearly defining himself apart from his family name.” [Washington Post, 5/13/15]
Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone: Bush’s Answer On Iraq Was “Characteristically Bushian: Yes, No, And Maybe.” According Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone, “Jeb’s answer was characteristically Bushian: yes, no, and maybe. Bush III somehow hadn’t prepared for the one question he was most absolutely certain to face the moment he decided take a step in the direction of the White House.” [Rolling Stone, 5/18/15]
Bush Stumbling While Answering If He Would Have Authorized The Iraq War Was Embarrassing
Bush Reversing His Position On The Authorization Of The Iraq War Was A “Humiliating Reversal.”According to Politico, “It was a humiliating reversal for a proud and loyal member of the Republican Party’s foremost political dynasty.” [Politico, 5/14/15]
Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone: Bush “Somehow Hadn’t Prepared For The One Question He Was Most Absolutely Certain To Face” In A Presidential Campaign. According Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone, “Jeb’s answer was characteristically Bushian: yes, no, and maybe. Bush III somehow hadn’t prepared for the one question he was most absolutely certain to face the moment he decided take a step in the direction of the White House.” [Rolling Stone, 5/18/15]
Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone: Bush’s Answer On Iraq Was “A Little Bit Like Invading A Country And Having No Plan At All For What You Do After You Seize The Capital.” According Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone, “Jeb’s answer was characteristically Bushian: yes, no, and maybe. Bush III somehow hadn’t prepared for the one question he was most absolutely certain to face the moment he decided take a step in the direction of the White House. It was a little bit like invading a country and having no plan at all for what you do after you seize the capital. In other words, the kind of thing that should disqualify a person not just from the presidency, but maybe also from having a driver’s license.” [Rolling Stone,5/18/15]
Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone: Bush’s Answer On Iraq Was The Kind Of Answer That “Should Disqualify A Person Not Just From The Presidency, But Maybe Also From Having A Driver’s License.” According Matt Taibbi Of Rolling Stone, “Jeb’s answer was characteristically Bushian: yes, no, and maybe. Bush III somehow hadn’t prepared for the one question he was most absolutely certain to face the moment he decided take a step in the direction of the White House. It was a little bit like invading a country and having no plan at all for what you do after you seize the capital. In other words, the kind of thing that should disqualify a person not just from the presidency, but maybe also from having a driver’s license.” [Rolling Stone, 5/18/15]
Paul Krugman Op-Ed: Bush “Hiding Behind The Troops” By Refusing To Answer The Iraq Question Showed “Cowardice And Vileness.” In an Op-Ed in the New York Times, Paul Krugman wrote, “Then he tried to walk it back. He ‘interpreted the question wrong,’ and isn’t interested in engaging ‘hypotheticals.’ Anyway, ‘going back in time’ is a ‘disservice’ to those who served in the war. Take a moment to savor the cowardice and vileness of that last remark. And, no, that’s not hyperbole. Mr. Bush is trying to hide behind the troops, pretending that any criticism of political leaders — especially, of course, his brother, the commander in chief — is an attack on the courage and patriotism of those who paid the price for their superiors’ mistakes. That’s sinking very low, and it tells us a lot more about the candidate’s character than any number of up-close-and-personal interviews.” [Op-Ed – New York Times, 5/15/15]
MAY 2015: BUSH SAID WE NEEDED TO “REENGAGE” IN IRAQ IN A “MORE FORCEFUL WAY”
[Video] 2015: Bush On Iraq: “I Think We Need To Reengage And Do It In A More Forceful Way.”Speaking to a press gaggle in Tempe AZ, Bush said “Reporter: What’s the way forward in Iraq, sir? Jeb Bush: I think we need to reengage and do it in a more forceful way. The president is very reluctant, for whatever reason, to make a clear commitment that we should have kept 5,000 or 10,000 troops there. There has been success since we’ve reengaged. There has been some success. ISIS has been pulling back. This is not to say that we should go it alone. I’m not proposing that, nor is President Obama, for that matter. In order to build a coalition to rid ourselves of this barbaric Islamic terrorist threat, I think we have to do it in cooperation with the neighborhood. But we can’t do this by remote control. We can’t do it by drones. We have to be there to help train the military and do the things that’s being done right now. I believe that if we stay the course on that, if we do, we’ll be successful.” [Jeb Bush, Press Gaggle, Tempe, AZ, 5/14/15]
June 2015: Bush Said US Advisers Should Be “Embedded” In The Iraqi military
Jeb Bush: “I Think Our Advisers…Ought To Be Embedded In The [Iraqi] Military.” According to NBC News, “Bush said he had not seen reports that President Obama is considering sending hundreds of American troops to Anbar province in Iraq to help advise and train local forces working to retake Ramadi, but that he hoped they would play a more active role in combat than the administration has allowed so far. ‘I think our advisers, if that’s what they are, ought to be embedded in the [Iraqi] military,’ he said. ‘It helps us with our intelligence gathering, it certainly helps with morale and their ability to train the troops.’” [NBC News, 6/10/15]
2006: BUSH MIRRORED BROTHER’S “STAY THE COURSE” RHETORIC
Bush In 2006: “It Is Very Important That We Stay The Course, That We Provide Support For These Incredible People That Are Doing Such A Service For Liberty Around The World And Protecting Our Freedoms Here.” According to the St. Petersburg Times, “Fresh from his trip to the Middle East, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Wednesday that the United States needs to finish the job it started in Iraq despite mounting criticism about the handling of the war by his brother, President Bush. ‘It is very important that we stay the course, that we provide support for these incredible people that are doing such a service for liberty around the world and protecting our freedoms here,’ Bush said.” [St. Petersburg Times, 4/20/06]
2006: BUSH CALLED HIS BROTHER’S RESOLVE ON IRAQ “AWE INSPIRING”
2006: Jeb Bush Said “Whenever I’ve Talked To [George W Bush] Or Heard Him Speak . . . About Iraq There’s Just A Sense Of Purpose And Resolve That Is Awe-Inspiring.” According to the Miami Herald, “Instead, Bush said his brother encouraged the governors to direct their applause to ‘the troops. ‘Whenever I’ve talked to him or heard him speak . . . about Iraq there’s just a sense of purpose and resolve that is awe-inspiring,’ said Bush, who went to Iraq and Afghanistan in April with three other governors. The governor disputed a reporter’s question suggesting that good news about the increasingly unpopular war is rare.” [Miami Herald, 6/8/06]
2007: BUSH SAID THE US MADE THE CORRECT DECISION BY INVADING IRAQ
2007: Jeb Bush Said The US Made The Correct Decision By Invading Iraq And Afghanistan.According to BBC Monitoring, “However, when asked whether the US had taken the correct decision by invading Iraq and Afghanistan after the 11 September terror attacks, he said, ‘Yes America is a lot safer now’.” [BBC Monitoring, 10/13/07]
2008: BUSH REITERATED HIS SUPPORT FOR THE WAR
2008: Jeb Bush Said He Supported The War In Iraq Because He Wanted To Bring Long-Term Stability To The Country. According to the Reading Eagle, “Another questioner asked Bush if he supports the war in Iraq. Bush said he does because he wants to bring long-term stability to the country. ‘I know that my brother’s heart is in the right place,’ he added.” [Reading Eagle, 3/28/08]
2009: BUSH SAID HIS BROTHER DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE BY FOCUSING TOO MUCH ON IRAQ AT THE COST OF AFGHANISTAN
2009: Bush Said He Did Not Believe His Brother Made A Mistake By “Focusing Too Much On Iraq At The Cost Of Afghanistan.” According to CNN, “Did your brother make a mistake by focusing too much on Iraq at the cost of Afghanistan? BUSH: No, I don’t think so. And I think the president’s first instincts in March when he advocated an increase in support in Afghanistan as the war in Iraq subsides was the right one. Now he is having second thoughts which creates a lot of uncertainty. I hope that there emerge as consensus for — to provide the necessary moral and physical support for our troops over there.” [CNN, 10/8/09]
2013: BUSH SAID PEOPLE WILL RESPECT HIS BROTHER FOR THE WAR
Jeb Bush, 2013: “I Think People Will Respect The Resolve That My Brother Showed, Both In Defending The Country And The War In Iraq.” According to State of the Union with Candy Crowley, “CROWLEY: Finally, I have to ask you because we’re coming up on the ten-year anniversary of the war in Iraq which is widely seen in public opinion polls as a mistake. Do you think that will ever change? BUSH: Yes. You know, a lot of things in history change over time. I think people will respect the resolve that my brother showed, both in defending the country and the war in Iraq. But history will judge that in a more objective way than today. The war has wound down now and it’s still way too early to judge what success it had in providing some degree of stability in the region.” [State of the Union, 3/10/13]
2015: BUSH SAID “MISTAKES WERE MADE” IN IRAQ
Jeb Bush: “There Were Mistakes Made In Iraq For Sure.” According to Reuters, “‘There were mistakes made in Iraq for sure,’ Bush said, but he gave his brother credit for a 2007 troop surge that helped stabilize Iraq and said the U.S. withdrawal ordered by Obama created a void filled by Islamic State.” [Reuters, 2/18/15]
[Video] Bush: “There Were Mistakes Made In Iraq For Sure. Using The Intelligence Capability That Everybody Embraced About Weapons Of Mass Destruction Turns Out Not To Be Accurate.”Speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs , Bush said“ There were mistakes made in Iraq for sure. Using the intelligence capability that everybody embraced about weapons of mass destruction turns out not to be accurate. Not creating an environment of security after the successful taking out of Hussein was a mistake because Iraqis wanted security more than anything else.” [Jeb Bush, Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Chicago, IL, 2/18/15]
APRIL 2015: BUSH SAID HE WAS SUPPORTIVE OF HIS BROTHER’S LEGACY IN IRAQ
April 2015: Jeb Bush “Supportive Of His Brother’s Legacy” On Iraq, But Said ‘There Were Mistakes In Iraq For Sure.” According to the Washington Post, “When it comes to Iraq, Bush is mostly supportive of his brother’s legacy there. ‘There were mistakes in Iraq for sure,’ he said during a speech in Chicago in February. ‘Using the intelligence capability that everybody embraced about weapons of mass destruction, it turns out to not be accurate.’ But in that appearance, he also called the 2007 Iraq troop ‘surge’ ‘one of the most heroic acts of courage politically that any president’s done.’ ‘It was hugely successful and created a stability that when the new president came in, he could build on to create a fragile but more stable situation,’ he said.” [Washington Post, 4/16/15]
May – June 2015: Bush Said Pulling Out Of Iraq Led To A Vacuum
Jeb Bush: “The Simple Fact Is That We Are In A Much More Unstable Place Because America Pulled Back.” “We had an agreement that the president could have signed, it would have kept 10,000 troops, which is less than what we have in Korea. It could have created the stability that would have allow for Iraq to progress. The net result was, the opposite occurred because immediately that void was filled. And so, look, you can rewrite history all you want but the simple fact is that we’re in a much more unstable place because America pulled back.” [Jeb Bush, Town Hall, Reno, NV, 5/13/15]
Published: Aug 11, 2015