Ending his eight-year presidency marked by two wars, 9/11 attacks and recession, George W Bush has said he has no regrets and history will be the judge of his decisions which were based on a set of "clear principles".
"I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," Bush said hours after vacating the White House yesterday.
"It is good to be home," the former President said on reaching his home town Midland Texas.
Bush, whose popularity reached the lowest ebb during the last phase of his tenure, said his decisions were based on a set of principles and moral values which he learnt from his families and home in Texas. He never let opinion polls influence his decisions.
"Every day, I followed a set of clear principles, principles that I learnt from my family and principles I learnt from growing up out here in West Texas and throughout this state.
"Individuals must be responsible for the actions they take in life. Our nation thrives when government trusts people with decisions about their own money and their lives," he said.
Asserting that he has no regrets, Bush said the history will be the judge of his decisions.
"When I get home tonight and look in the mirror, I'm not going to regret what I see...... Except maybe some grey hair," he said amid laughter.
Noting that "the strong have an obligation to defend the weak," Bush said "freedom is a universal gift of an almighty God, and America should use its influence to be a force for good in the world."
