BBC - Clinton for post-9/11 Iraq action

Bill Clinton says that no government could have failed to act against Iraq after the 11 September 2001 attacks in view of intelligence provided.

The former US president told the BBC that UK intelligence on the activity of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein was more "aggressive" than Washington's.

He added that the world was right to demand weapons inspections in 2002.

But he said war could have been avoided if the UN had passed a resolution threatening military action.

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The former president told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that before the war everyone had thought that Iraq still had chemical and biological weapons stockpiles.

He said that while containment of Iraq was working the situation regarding Saddam Hussein was different after the 11 September attacks.

"The issue was not whether he would use [weapons of mass destruction] but whether he was likely to give them away or have them stolen," he said. "That's why the world supported inspections."