Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair has made a partial apology for his role in the 2003 Iraq war and the ultimate rise of ISIS.
Speaking with CNN, the former head of government said, "I apologize for the fact that the intelligence we received was wrong. I also apologize for some of the mistakes in planning and, certainly, our mistake in our understanding of what would happen once you removed the regime." He also acknowledged that the vacuum left after Saddam Hussein's overthrow made it easier for ISIS to grow.
However, he qualified his statements by saying that he does not regret the decision to take down the Iraqi dictator: "I find it hard to apologize for removing Saddam"
Blair's comments come shortly before the Chilcot enquiry into the war publishes its findings.