U.S. Governor of Iraq Paul Bremer said on Sunday his past criticism of President Bush for being slow to implement anti-terror measures was unfair.

Bremer said in a speech six months before the September 11 attacks in 2001 that the Bush administration seemed to be ignoring the problem of terrorism and would "stagger along" until a major incident.

Details of the speech came to light last week as Bush answered questions from the independent commission investigating the September 11 suicide hijackings.

But Bremer said on Sunday his remarks had been unjust.

"My statement in February 2001 reflected my frustration that in the nine months following the recommendations of the National Commission on Terrorism, none had been implemented by the Clinton administration nor by the newly elected Bush administration," he said in a statement.

"Criticism of the new administration, however, was unfair. President Bush had just been sworn into office and could not reasonably be held responsible for the Federal Government's inaction over the preceding seven months. (via Reuters)

Granted, in February 2001, it was unfair. But after another seven months of inaction, it was prescient.