The Con Man Who Caused the Iraq War
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
In 1999, an Iraqi refugee code-named Curveball told German intelligence agents that Saddam Hussein had produced mobile biological weapons factories. Even though Curveball’s information seemed dubious, it became the centerpiece in the Bush administration’s case for war. Los Angeles Times correspondent Bob Drogin argues that the White House and the CIA didn’t care if the source was credible or not, because they had already made up their minds to go to war. His book is Curveball.
Listen to Leonard's interview with Tyler Drumheller, former CIA division chief, about Curveball and other prewar intelligence breakdowns from November 14, 2006.
Curveball is available for purchase at amazon.com
Guests:
Bob Drogin
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Comments [5]
Why do you, the American citizens just accept the fact
your government is doing what you want, CHEAP OIL and wild consumer capitalism.
No conspiracies, or spreading of "democracy"..
The rest of the world is looking to you as a
(at least the common man/woman) "rogue state".
K. Talat Muskara
Alanya, Rep. of Turkey.
Bob Drogin book brings to life deep insight of how the CIA dealt with unsupported-unverified intelligence information in early 2000. Why should we believe that they are doing any better now? No one in the intelligence community was held responsible for the intelligence failure of 9/11, curve ball and more failures to come. Excellent book and show.
it is clear that the CIA did not believe that there were WMD's. Their hesitation indicates that they were reluctant, and foresaw that they would susequently have to take the hit for "failed intelligence".
While the author's story is interesting, I think another story is that the Bush administration pushed it adgenda irregardless of the quality or lack of that from the intelligence sources.
Does anyone really believe this is an example of being fooled by a con man or incompetence?
This was was on Bush's agenda from the very beginning. And I have been asked so many times why I hate Bush. The man, his regime, and everything it stands for is beneath contempt. They are truly evil people.
I distinctly remember that before the war, when Bush started spouting off about WMD, that the CIA did not respond for about two weeks. There was even a mention of that fact in the NY Times.
I took this as a sure sign that we were going to war.
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