Bush Defends Iraq War, Tortures in Book

Former US President George W. Bush has defended his decisions during his eight years in office, including the war he waged on Iraq that has so far killed over a million Iraqis.

In a memoir titled "Decision Points," due to be released next week, Bush claims the invasion of Iraq was justified.

He argues that Iraqi citizens are better off without the former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, whom he calls a "homicidal dictator."

He also defends his decision to allow torture, asserting that it helped save lives.

The 64-year-old former president, however, claims that he was "shocked" when no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) were found in Iraq.

The Bush administration had justified its war on Iraq by claiming certainty over the possession of WMD by Saddam Hussein. At the time, the US even produced what it referred to as "irrefutable evidence" at a UN Security Council meeting about the existence of WMD's and their location in Iraq.

"No one was more shocked and angry than I was when we didn't find the weapons. I had a sickening feeling every time I thought about it. I still do," Bush wrote in his autobiography, which was obtained in advance by the New York Times.

The former US leader also revealed in his book that he had temporarily considered replacing Vice President Dick Cheney in 2003, because he wanted to put an end to any impression that Cheney was the real decision-maker in the White House.

"I did consider the offer," Bush said, adding that Cheney "was seen as dark and heartless - the Darth Vader of the administration."

While Bush left office in 2008 with rock-bottom approval ratings, he proclaims in his autobiography that history will judge him better than voters.