U2 drummer: 'Bono makes me cringe'

U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. has slammed Bono for befriending world leaders.

Mullen told Q that he "cringes" when he sees the U2 frontman with former Prime Minister Tony Blair and US President George W. Bush, calling the politicians "war criminals".

"Tony Blair is a war criminal and I think he should be tried as a war criminal. Then I see Bono and him as pals and I'm going, 'I don't like that'," he said.

"Do I think George Bush is a war criminal? Probably - but the difference between him and Tony Blair is that Blair is intelligent. So he has no excuse for what he did."

Mullen admitted that he admires Bono's willingness "to use his weight as a celebrity, at great cost to himself and his family, to help other people", but added: "As an outsider looking in, I cringe".