Iraq war was a mistake, admits John Kerry

ABU DHABI: Former US secretary of state John Kerry has accepted that the war in Iraq was a “big mistake”, according the UAE official news agency WAM.

When asked to share his thoughts on the Iraq war, Kerry responded, "The war in Iraq was a mistake." During a session at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair highlighting his memoir ‘Every Day is Extra’, Kerry said that it was one of the biggest mistakes the United States has ever made in its foreign policy agenda. John Kerry was at the book fair to promote his recently published memoir, ‘Every Day is Extra.’ In his memoir, Kerry writes about his decision to vote ‘yes’ in the Senate, on proceeding with the Iraq war, following the steps relayed by the then president Bush.

He expressed regret, writing, "I wish I could go back in time." Kerry further stated that the world is witnessing far less state-on-state violence and more non-state actor violence, posing a global challenge for the future. Discussing the Syrian crisis, John Kerry believes that the US should have played a more significant role in Syria at the outbreak of the conflict.

Former US secretary of State, who took part in a one-to-one discussion with UAE Minister of State Zaki Nussaibah, spoke frankly about a number of topics. Commenting on local developments, Kerry said that the UAE government "is in touch with its people," adding that the country has accomplished extraordinary feats.