John Edwards, JD Biography

Almost three years ago we went into Iraq to remove what we were told -- and what many of us believed and argued -- was a threat to America. But in fact we now know that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction when our forces invaded Iraq in 2003. The intelligence was deeply flawed and, in some cases, manipulated to fit a political agenda.

It was a mistake to vote for this war in 2002. I take responsibility for that mistake...

The argument for going to war with Iraq was based on intelligence that we now know was inaccurate. The information the American people were hearing from the president -- and that I was being given by our intelligence community -- wasn't the whole story. Had I known this at the time, I never would have voted for this war."

"[Chris] Matthews: ...Were we right to go to this war alone, basically without the Europeans behind us? Was that something we had to do?

[John] Edwards: I think that we were right to go. I think we were right to go to the United Nations. I think we couldn't let those who could veto in the Security Council hold us hostage. And I think Saddam Hussein, being gone is good. Good for the American people, good for the security of that region of the world, and good for the Iraqi people...

Matthews: OK. I just want to get one thing straight so that we know how you would have been different in president if you had been in office the last four years as president....Would you have gone to Iraq?

Edwards: I would have gone to Iraq."