Bush regrets rise of 'al-Qaida plus' in Iraq

Former President George W. Bush has said he does not regret going to war in Iraq, though he rues the rise of the Islamic State (IS) terror group.

Bush told CBS television's Face the Nation on Sunday morning the 2003 invasion he ordered was the "right decision."

But the 68-year-old added: "My regret is that a violent group of people have risen up again.

"This is al-Qaida plus ... they need to be defeated. And I hope we do (...) I hope that the strategy works."

On Saturday, U.S. warplanes launched airstrikes on a gathering of IS leaders in northern Iraq. The commander of IS, Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, was wounded, Iraqi officials said.

In the wide-ranging interview, Bush also said his younger brother Jeb Bush, a former Florida governor, was "wrestling with the decision" of whether to run for the White House in 2016.

He said: "I think it's 50-50."

"He knows exactly, you know, the ramifications on family, for example," Bush added. "He's seen his dad and his brother go through the presidency. I'd give it a tossup."

By Ruchi Singh

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com