Coverage dated May 18, 2022

George Bush's Iraq-Ukraine gaffe sparks "war criminal" debate

Headline from Newsweek

The former president accidentally referred to the "unjustified" invasion of Iraq while criticizing Russian and Vladimir Putin.

Newsweek's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Read the reports

Reports & sources

20 articles, oldest first.

Mitchell Daily Republic
'I mean Ukraine': Former U.S. president George Bush calls Iraq invasion 'unjustified' (opens Mitchell Daily Republic)
Published May 18, 2022
Mitchell Daily Republic's feed description
Bush made the comments in a speech during an event in Dallas on Wednesday, while he was criticizing Russia's political system. He jokingly blamed the mistake on his age as the audience burst into laughter.
PJ Media
George W. Bush Hits the ‘Wholly Unjustified and Brutal Invasion of Iraq. I Mean, of Ukraine.’ (opens PJ Media)
Published May 18, 2022
PJ Media's feed description
The most extraordinary aspect of this was not Bush’s initial slip, but the fact that he added “Iraq, too” after correcting himself.
Al Jazeera
‘Freudian slip’: Bush decries ‘invasion of Iraq’ – not Ukraine (opens Al Jazeera)
Published May 18, 2022
Al Jazeera's feed description
Former US President George W Bush appears to admit 2003 invasion of Iraq was ‘wholly unjustified, brutal’ in speech.
Newsweek
George Bush's Iraq-Ukraine gaffe sparks "war criminal" debate (opens Newsweek)
Published May 18, 2022
Newsweek's feed description
The former president accidentally referred to the "unjustified" invasion of Iraq while criticizing Russian and Vladimir Putin.
Wyoming Public Media
Trying to condemn the war in Ukraine, Bush inadvertently calls Iraq war unjustified (opens Wyoming Public Media)
Published May 18, 2022
Wyoming Public Media's feed description
In a speech, Bush criticized "the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq — I mean of Ukraine."
Newsweek
George W. Bush confuses Ukraine with Iraq, calls it "unjustified" invasion (opens Newsweek)
Published May 18, 2022
Newsweek's feed description
"The decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq," Bush said at his own presidential library.
Breitbart News
When Bashing Putin for Ukraine War, George W. Bush Accidentally Calls Iraq Invasion 'Wholly Unjustified and Brutal' (opens Breitbart News)
Published May 18, 2022
Breitbart News's feed description
George W. Bush mistakenly blamed Putin for a “wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq” while praising Zelensky at an event.

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.