Episode 185: Weapons of Mass Deception: The Iraq War

In this episode, we unpack the long road to the Iraq War, from the 1953 CIA-backed coup in Iran and U.S. support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran–Iraq War to Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, the Gulf War, sanctions, weapons inspections, and the Bush administration’s false claims about weapons of mass destruction. We dig into how 9/11 reshaped U.S. foreign policy, how figures tied to PNAC pushed for regime change, and how intelligence around WMDs, yellowcake uranium, and Curveball helped sell the 2003 invasion of Iraq. We also cover shock and awe, Abu Ghraib, torture, Halliburton, Blackwater, civilian deaths, veteran trauma, and the trillions of dollars lost in a war that destabilized the region and left behind questions that still have not been answered.