Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair has said going war with Iraq was the most 'agonizing decision' he ever made. He said he takes full responsibility for the decision, and that the British military and civil service are not to blame for the problems that developed after the war.

"The decision to go to war in Iraq and to remove Saddam Hussein from power in a coalition of over 40 countries led by the United State of America was the hardest, most momentous, most agonizing decision I took in my 10 years as British Prime Minister. For that decision today, I accept full responsibility, without exception and without excuse. I recognize 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 and or Iraqis," Blair said.