Let me be blunt; I think we were right to play our own small part in the destruction of the regime of Saddam Hussein. It was a far from perfect operation, mistakes were made and the sectarian violence which followed was appalling. But there are three reasons why the world is better off for the demise of the Hussein regime.

The first is simple humanity. Hussein's regime was one of extreme brutality. He murdered thousands of his people - Shiites and Kurds - to consolidate his dictatorial hold on power. He used chemical weapons against his own people.

Brutal regime: Saddam Hussein. Credit:AFP

For many, foreign policy realism meant accepting appalling human rights abuses, particularly in the Arab world. Realists argue the international community has no right to decide how individual countries are governed; I don't accept that. Sovereignty is important but not more important than humanity. It has always made sense to me that if freedoms are oppressed with egregious cruelty, then the world should not stand by and ignore it.

I supported the NATO campaign in 1997 against the Serbian dictator Slobodan Milosevic; I set up the human rights dialogue with China; I was an early champion of the International Criminal Court; and I championed the overthrow of the brutal regime of Hussein.