America's five living presidents joined the world's great and powerful under a blazing Texas sun to honour one of the most controversial men of the 21st century so far: George W Bush. Philip Sherwell reports from Dallas.
They came from across the political divide to honour one the most polarising presidents in American history, the commander-in-chief during a decade of war.
But one word was absent from everybody's lips at the opening of the $250 million library and museum to the legacy of George W Bush in Dallas: Iraq.
America's five living presidents, commonly known as the world's most exclusive club, and their wives lined up on stage in front of a sun-splashed plaza packed with Mr Bush's global allies, hundreds of administration alumni, and thousands of admirers.
From left: Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush and Rosalynn Carter
Pride of place amid the pomp at Southern Methodist University was awarded to Tony Blair, the former prime minister who was Mr Bush's most steadfast supporter in the invasion of Iraq.
Mr Blair and his wife Cherie were given front row seats next to two key members of the Bush war cabinet – Condoleezza Rice, the former national security adviser, and Dick Cheney, the ex-vice president, wearing a cowboy hat.
The three Democratic presidents – Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter – and two Republicans, Mr Bush and his wheelchair-bound father, George HW Bush, gathered for the first time since shortly before Mr Obama's inauguration in January 2009.
George W Bush, right, speaks with George HW Bush They have spent much of their political lives trading blame and jibes. But this was a day for accolades, as the speakers praised an individual of humour and humanity, and a leader who reacted to the challenge of the September 11 attacks with defiance and determination.
"As we walk through this library, we're reminded of the incredible strength and resolve that came through that bullhorn [at] Ground Zero, promising to deliver justice to those who had sought to destroy our way of life," said Mr Obama.
Like Mr Carter and Mr Clinton, he also hailed Mr Bush for his support for projects in Africa fighting HIV/Aids and malaria.
Michelle Obama, left, and Barbara Bush listen as Barack Obama speaks during the dedication It was Mr Bush who came closest to referring to Iraq when he expounded on his "freedom agenda" and the value of freeing people from dictatorship.
He began his speech with a reference to his more wayward youth. "There was a time in my life when I wasn't likely to be found in a library, much less found one," he noted. And with typically mischievous nod to the foreign dignitaries, he welcomed them to "the promised land" – his home state of Texas.
In the 226,000 sq ft building behind him was the library, museum and think tank. The contents range across the upheavals of his two terms – twisted girders from the World Trade Centre, the bullhorn from which he spoke atop a pile of rubble at Ground Zero, and Saddam Hussein's pistol; but also the quirks of the man – his collection of signed baseballs and toys of his pet dog Barney.
'The Ties that Bind' is a new painting that shows the George Bush and Tony Blair conferring in the Oval Office at night. Picture: The George W Bush library One particular display sums up the bitter rifts of his presidency. It covers the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and is headed "Defending Freedom" – a loaded description that will earn the wrath of critics and delight fans. At the hub of the museum is the Decision Points Theatre, an interactive facility in which visitors receive briefings then make their own calls on the most controversial episodes of his presidency.
At the conclusion, Mr Bush appears on video to explain why he took the decisions he did on the invasion of Iraq, the later troop "surge", his handling of Hurricane Katrina, and the bank bail-out.
The former president had earlier done a round of television interviews, maintaining the same lack of introspection that characterised his time in office.
"History will ultimately judge the decisions that were made for Iraq and I'm just not going to be around to see the final verdict," he said. "In other words, I'll be dead." He was, he added, a "content man".
From left: Tony Blair, Condoleezza Rice and Dick Cheney On Iraq, it was "hard to tell" whether the invasion would have happened had he known the country did not have weapons of mass destruction. He declared himself "comfortable" with that decision. Yet despite his protestations of a lack of concern about his legacy, the library, museum and institute are designed to address exactly that – to recast the reputation of a president who left office with record low approval ratings.
Former Bush insiders attending the ceremony made clear to The Daily Telegraph that they were determined to set the record straight. "I am sure that visitors will come away with greater understanding of the challenges he faced and the decisions he made," said Mark McKinnon, his former media strategist.
"In the rear-view mirror, things begin to balance out and we are already seeing a significant rise in the popularity of George W Bush."
The partnership of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Regan features in a painting titled A Shared Vision. Mr Blair was also honoured for his unfailing loyalty with the unveiling of a new 7ft x 9ft oil painting depicting him conferring with Mr Bush in the Oval Office after the September 11 terrorist attacks. The portrait, titled The Ties That Bind, was the idea of Laura Bush, but the work of a renowned local artist – not Mr Bush, who has recently taken up painting as a hobby.
