Colin Powell Presents False WMD Evidence to UN Security Council

Timeline Eventconfirmed
intelligence-manipulationiraq-warunited-nationswmdfalse-evidence
Regulatory CaptureIntelligence Penetration
Actors:Colin Powell, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Central Intelligence Agency, Curveball
2003-02-05 · 1 min read

Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a 76-minute presentation to the UN Security Council presenting fabricated evidence to justify the Iraq War. Powell's presentation included: mobile weapons labs based on testimony from 'Curveball,' a source who later admitted lying; aluminum tubes claims his own staff warned were 'not credible'; and a theatrical anthrax vial demonstration. The CIA and State Department had warned that many claims were false before the presentation. Powell later called the presentation a 'blot' on his record, acknowledging the evidence was fabricated. This false presentation became central to the Bush administration's justification for the 2003 Iraq invasion.

Sources

  1. Powell's UN speech on Iraq WMDs: A 'blot' on his recordBBC News(2020-10-19)
  2. Colin Powell's WMD intelligence 'was circumstantial'The Guardian(2004-02-01)
  3. The Truth About Colin Powell's WMD PresentationThe Intercept(2018-02-06)