We were given a dodgy dossier, which Downing Street put together of trying to explain the case for war. It started implying it was going to be nuclear and explosion over London in 45 minutes. That was all just completely made up. Lots of decent people believed it, of course. But they knew that they were spinning us into the war. They told all sorts of untruths to get us there. And when they couldn't get the agreement of other countries in the UN, they then twisted that. In the end, he was more desperate to go with America than use his power to get a more considered outcome.
Exactly twenty years ago today on the 20th March 2003, the US along with its allies launched a shock and awe bombing campaign on Iraq. It marked the start of the invasion - and occupation - of Iraq - a defining moment in modern history and contemporary politics. In the first episode of this series Iraq: Legacy of War brought to you by Intelligence Squared, we’ll be taking a deep dive into key moments on the road to war. From understanding Saddam’s rule in the 1980s and the significance of the first Gulf War, to the role of intelligence reports, domestic politics and the Special Relationship between Britain and America.
Our host for this episode is investigative journalist Manveen Rana, who’s joined by Renad Mansour, director of the Iraq Initiative at Chatham House; and Clare Short, who was Secretary of State for International Development from 1997 to 2003.
To listen to the whole series now please subscribe via Intelligence Squared Premium on Apple Podcasts or here: https://iq2premium.supercast.com/ for ad-free listening, bonus content, early access and much more.
This series was produced by Farah Jassat and Catharine Hughes, with editing and artwork from Catharine Hughes. Music is by Lesfm. Excerpts featured in this episode are from CBS News and AP.
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