Former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu on Monday said that asking presidential candidates if they would start the Iraq War knowing what they know now is a “dumb question.”
His critique of the latest craze in journalistic inquisition came in defense of Republican presidential candidate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and likely GOP contender former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who have been assailed with questions about whether they would have ordered the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003.
“When you ask the question, ’knowing what we know now,’ nobody knows what you mean,” Mr. Sununu, who also served as chief of staff to former President George H.W. Bush, said on Fox News.
“Does that include knowing that the bulk of Saddam Hussein’s Sarin gas went to Syria where [President Bashar al-Assad] is using it?” Mr. Sununu said. “Does it mean that [President Obama] was going to fail to get a status of forces agreement and pull all our forces out and create chaos in Iraq that sets the tone for why that question is being asked?
“It’s an easy question for a journalist to ask. It’s a dumb question for a journalist to ask,” he said. “Marco was right and Jeb Bush was right.”
Mr. Bush last week wrestled with the question for four days before flatly stating that he would not have invaded Iraq knowing what he knows now.
Mr. Rubio was pressed on the question on “Fox New Sunday,” saying that it wasn’t a mistake at the time but that knowing what is known now, President George W. Bush wouldn’t have ordered the invasion and Congress wouldn’t have approved it.
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