Mr. Clinton

Former president Bill Clinton has criticized the U.S.-led war in Iraq as a "big mistake," saying officials failed to plan for what would follow the ouster of Saddam Hussein.

Speaking to students at the American University in Dubai, Mr. Clinton said it is a good thing that Saddam is gone, but he doesn't agree with what was done.

He said U.S. officials made several errors, such as not sending enough troops and dismantling Iraq's authority structure.

Mr. Clinton added that U.S.-led forces failed to secure the country's borders, allowing foreign terrorists to enter Iraq.

The Bush administration in recent days has defended the war, noting that many current critics had warned that Saddam was a threat before the war started.

Tuesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said, Mr. Clinton, as president, had warned that Saddam was planning to use weapons of mass destruction.