Protesters ready for opening of Bush library, as wars on terror, in Iraq help define his legacy

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GW BushHistory is far from settled over the Iraq war as former President George W. Bush prepares to open his presidential center Thursday before an all-star crowd of thousands and present his side of the story.

More than four years after Bush left office, protesters are lining up to criticize his eight years in office, saying he began an unjust, politicized war built on the belief that Iraqis were developing weapons of mass destruction - a belief officials now say were wrong.

Supporters of Bush, beloved by many in Texas and beyond, say the former president faced extraordinary situations, rose to meet challenges and made just decisions.

But historians say there's a long way to go before the ink is dry on history books that are still being written.

"War is a substantial part of his legacy," said Bruce Buchanan, a government professor specializing in presidential studies at the University of Texas at Austin. "Where Afghanistan was an arguably necessary war, the decision to go into Iraq was controversial ... and in some minds oversold, if not worse.

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