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"I think President (George W.) Bush made the best decision he could at the time, given that his intelligence community was telling him that there was (weapons of mass destruction) and that there were other threats right there in Iraq," he told CNN's Jake Tapper on "The Lead."

"But I don't think you can honestly say that if we knew then that there was no (weapons of mass destruction), that the country should have gone to war," he said.

The comments were a direct response to Bush's support for the Iraq War during a Fox News interview. Though Bush was asked by host Megyn Kelly whether, "knowing what we know now," he would've authorized the war in Iraq, he responded affirmatively to a slightly different scenario.

"I would have (authorized the invasion), and so would have Hillary Clinton, just to remind everybody. And so would almost everybody that was confronted with the intelligence they got," Bush said in the interview.

The remarks drew widespread criticism from Bush's left and right flanks, and caused a close ally, GOP strategist Ana Navarro, to backtrack on the comments, saying Bush told her he had "misheard" Kelly's question.

RELATED: Jeb Bush: I would have authorized Iraq War

But the comments gave Christie --who is actively contemplating a presidential bid, and would compete with Bush for establishment Republican support if both run -- an opening to differentiate himself from Bush, and an opportunity for attack.

Christie jabbed at the former Florida governor, who's brother and father have served in the White House, saying that Americans should "avoid ... continuing to go backwards in this country."

"We need a forward-looking foreign policy that talks about how to reassert American authority and influence around the world," he said.

Bush wasn't the only potential opponent that drew fire from Christie in the broad interview with Tapper conducted in New Hampshire, where Christie had delivered an economic speech and was planning a town hall meeting.

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A landing craft transports migrants back to HMS Bulwark after their rescue in the Mediterranean Sea. Photograph: Jason Florio/AFP/Getty Images

European plans for a military campaign to smash the migrant smuggling networks operating out of Libya include options for ground forces on Libyan territory.

The 19-page strategy paper for the mission, obtained by the Guardian, focuses on an air and naval campaign in the Mediterranean and in Libyan territorial waters, subject to United Nations blessing. But it adds that ground operations in Libya may also be needed to destroy the smugglers vessels and assets, such as fuel dumps.

A presence ashore might be envisaged if agreement was reached with relevant authorities, says the paper. The operation would require a broad range of air, maritime and land capabilities. These could include: intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; boarding teams; patrol units (air and maritime); amphibious assets; destruction air, land and sea, including special forces units.

Related: Libya's people smugglers: military action won't stop this multifaceted trade

Senior diplomats and officials in Brussels, speaking privately about the military planning, have consistently stressed that there would be no prospect of boots on the ground in Libya. Responding to the Guardians disclosures, Federica Mogherini, the EUs chief foreign and security policy coordinator, reiterated that position on Wednesday.

We are not planning in any possible way a military intervention in Libya, she said.

Related: EU draws up plans for military attacks on Libya targets to stop migrant boats

But EU governments have still to discuss and decide on the planning document. A joint session of EU foreign and defence ministers is to decide on the mission on Monday, followed the next day by a meeting of defence chiefs from EU countries. The military package would then need to be given a green light by heads of government at an EU summit next month.

Mogherini said she expected Mondays meeting to decide on the headquarters and command and control of the proposed mission. She sounded optimistic about a quick UN security council resolution allowing the use of force against the smugglers, but also made plain that if that proved impossible, the EU would still mount a military mission in the Mediterranean outside of Libyan territorial waters and airspace.

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Migrant crisis: EU plan to strike Libya networks could ...

The Interior Department wrote in a statement that Shell could begin drilling in the Chukchi Sea once several environmental conditions are met, including a sign-off from agencies assessing the impact on endangered species. State agencies must also approve the plan.

The move has upset environmental activists who are concerned the drilling will have detrimental effects.

RELATED: Keystone vote: Senate fails to override veto

Shell, if it obtains the remaining permits, would be the only company drilling in the federal waters in the Arctic.

Abigail Ross Hopper, the director of the Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, said her agency had taken "a thoughtful approach" to Shell's requests for drilling permits in the Arctic.

"As we move forward, any offshore exploratory activities will continue to be subject to rigorous safety standards," she said.

Shell has been pressing for years to gain permission from the federal government to tap Arctic Ocean oil reserves, a move environmentalists have protested for the perceived risks to the environment and wildlife.

The Interior Department estimates there to be more than 20 billion barrels of oil and 90 trillion cubic feet of natural gas beneath the freezing Arctic waters near Alaska.

Tim Donaghy, a senior research specialist for Greenpeace, panned Monday's decision.

"Instead of holding Shell accountable and moving the country towards a sustainable future, our federal regulators are catering to an ill-prepared company in a region that does not tolerate cutting corners," he said.

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The consigliere - John Podesta, one of the top liberal minds in politics, will serve as Clinton's campaign chairman. A former White House chief of staff for Bill Clinton and a top counselor for President Obama, Podesta has the stature to speak truth to power. His influential role in early structural and strategic decisions suggests that he will be a far more hands-on campaign chairman than most.

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The manager - Robby Mook impressed Clinton-land when he ran Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign to primary wins in Nevada, Ohio and Indiana, and again when he led Terry McAuliffe - a longtime Clinton friend and confidant - to the Virginia governor's mansion in 2013. The numbers-focused, Vermont-native has had his hand in hiring many of top campaign strategists this time around and is pushing Clinton's sharp focus on Iowa and New Hampshire.

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The strategist - Joel Benenson started to work with Clinton in 2014, when the former secretary of state was mulling a run and piecing a staff together. The lead pollster for President Obama's winning campaign and re-election, who also worked on Bill Clinton's 1996 race, will be the top campaign strategist for Hillary Clinton. His firm is already starting to test themes and messages for this campaign.

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The adman - Jim Margolis also once worked to defeat Hillary Clinton. Now, he is working with her. Margolis was a senior adviser to both President Barack Obama's successful campaigns and has worked with a number of senators, including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. Margolis will server as Clinton's top media adviser and ad maker.

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The right-hand man - Marlon Marshall has long been Robby Mook's trusted right-hand man and is seen as a talented organizer and field director. He knows what went right -- and wrong -- during Hillary Clinton's first presidential race because he was there and will be in charge of making adjustments this time. He helped found the Democratic consulting firm 270 Strategies and during a stint at the White House was tasked with promoting Obamacare enrollment.

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He hasn't.

Zimmerman can barely go more than a few months without making the news again -- for more brushes with the law, for his artwork or -- most recently -- for getting shot at on a Florida road.

Here's a breakdown of Zimmerman's time in the public spotlight since Martin's death:

A Florida jury found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in Martin's killing in February 2012. Brother Robert Zimmerman Jr. told CNN that George Zimmerman "is going to be looking around his shoulder for the rest of his life."

His seclusion didn't last long. Four days after his acquittal, Zimmerman and another man helped a family get out of an overturned SUV in Florida, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office said.

"They got everyone out of the car," a 911 caller reported. About a minute later, the caller said, it looked like the vehicle was catching fire.

A few weeks after his acquittal, Zimmerman was pulled over for speeding in Forney, Texas.

Zimmerman was apparently traveling with a gun. Dashcam video showed him and a police officer talking briefly before the officer told him to shut his glove compartment

"Don't play with your firearm, OK?" the officer said. Zimmerman was given a warning.

Shellie Zimmerman pleaded guilty to perjury after claiming her family was indigent during a bond hearing for her husband. Prosecutors said the family actually had about $135,000 at the time.

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George Zimmerman's history with the law - CNN.com