In a press conference following the inquiry into the conflict he said he took the decision to go to war “with the heaviest of hearts”, adding: “I accept full responsibility without exception and without excuse.”
The former Prime Minister said he did not regret going into the Middle Eastern country, as the dictator would have got hold of weapons of mass destruction, in words that will ring hollow to the families of the 179 servicemen and women who lost their lives.
And he said this afternoon: “I would take the same decision again.”
He seemed to water down his views on whether Saddam actually had WMDs, saying all major intelligence agencies ‘thought’ he owned them.
That was in stark contrast to when he was in office, when the push for war was argued on the idea the despot had them - and was able to deploy them in just 45 minutes.
Mr Blair said once sanctions were lifted on Iraq, Saddam intended to resume his WMD programme.
Tackling the criticism in the inquiry that war was not the last resort, he said: “Given the impasse at the UN and the insistence of US, and with hundreds of thousands of troops in theatre, it was the last moment of decision for us, as the report indeed accepts.”
He adds: "By then, the US was going to war - with or without the UK."
Speaking about his regret, he said: "The decision to go to war in Iraq and remove Saddam Hussein from power in a coalition of over 40 countries led by the USA, was the hardest, most momentous, most agonising decision I took in ten years as British prime minister.
“For that decision today I accept full responsibility, without exception and without excuse.”
Speaking in central London, the ex-Labour leader said: “I recognise the division felt by many in our country over the war and in particular I feel deeply and sincerely – in a way that no words can properly convey – the grief and suffering of those who lost ones they loved in Iraq, whether the members of our armed forces, the armed forces of other nations, or Iraqis.
“The intelligence assessments made at the time of going to war turned out to be wrong.
“The aftermath turned out to be more hostile, protracted and bloody than ever we imagined.
“The coalition planned for one set of ground facts and encountered another, and a nation whose people we wanted to set free and secure from the evil of Saddam, became instead victim to sectarian terrorism.
“For all of this I express more sorrow, regret and apology than you may ever know or can believe.”
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