Curveball book about iraq

Curveball book charlotte mecklenburg library bibliocommons. March 24, 2008 the iraqi defector known as curveball, whose fabricated stories about mobile biological weapons labs helped lead the u. Judith miller, the former new york times reporter whose reporting about saddam husseins weapons of mass destruction was so useful in the bush administrations campaign to sell an iraq. News world world politics man whose wmd lies led to 100,000 deaths confesses all. National security archive electronic briefing book no. Curveball was the codename given to the mysterious defector whose firsthand evidence on saddams weapons of mass destruction proved vital in giving the bush administration the excuse it needed to invade iraq. It examines how a former iraqi taxi driver helped build the bush. An iraqi defector codenamed curveball admits that he made up stories about mobile bioweapons trucks and secret factories to try to bring down saddam husseins regime. Nov 20, 2005 they met at bnd headquarters in pullach, a suburb of munich, in midmarch 2004 one year after the iraq invasion. The first third of the book takes place in munich, during curveball s time under german questioning. Curveball book hennepin county library bibliocommons.

Curveball had told the germans that tahas team planned to build mobile factories at six sites across iraq, from numaniyah in the south to tikrit in the north. Rafid ahmed alwan aljanabi known by the defense intelligence agency cryptonym curveball, is a german citizen who defected from iraq in 1999, claiming. The iraqi defector rafid aljanabi codenamed curveball, who falsely claimed saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction, admitted. The 32yearold told german intelligence that he was a. Defector admits to wmd lies that triggered iraq war world. Iraq bioweapons claim a lie, curveball says the new.

Iraq bioweapons claim a lie, curveball says the new york. Random house, 2007 tells the true story of the iraqi. Washington, dc, november 5, 2007 cbs news 60 minutes exposure last night of the iraqi agent known as curveball has put a major aspect of the bush administrations case for war against iraq back under the spotlight. The highest and lowest drama in drogins book is the spectacle of administration evidence about iraq s weapons evanescing in the months before and after the invasion. Rafid ahmed alwan aljanabi let imagination run wild and became main source for colin powells case for war in 2003. Curveball ebook by bob drogin 9781588367365 rakuten kobo. Apr 03, 2012 curveball, the man whose lies about weapons of mass destruction helped form the basis for invading iraq, has come clean in an interview with the bbc, as reported by british news site the. Defector admits to wmd lies that triggered iraq war. Bush and british prime minister tony blair to justify an invasion of iraq. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Mi6 also thought they had further corroboration of curveball s story, when a trusted source codenamed red river revealed he.

Other than what i have mentioned, i cant find any other downfalls in this novel. Curveballs reinvention as a liberator and patriot is a tough sell to many in the cia. The record on curveball the national security archive. Feb 15, 2011 the iraqi defector rafid aljanabi codenamed curveball, who falsely claimed saddam hussein had weapons of mass destruction, admitted to the lies today and said he is proud he was able to trick. Mar 26, 2008 march 24, 2008 the iraqi defector known as curveball, whose fabricated stories about mobile biological weapons labs helped lead the u. The twoway joschka fischer says the german intelligence agency sent the cia a. Curveball, man who lied about wmds, comes clean the. He still has the book in his small, rented flat in karlsruhe, southwest germany. When the teacher was reading it in class she eventually stopped and everyone was salty like. A book has been written about him and hollywood is currently working. Defector tells how us officials sexed up his fictions to make the case for 2003 invasion. It is based on true events leading up to the iraq war of 2003.

Even now, curveball seems bemused that his lies got as far as they did. This book is so powerful, it almost refutes its subtitle. Gilles nahuel perez biscayart, to accept a valuable book written in farsi, or persian, in. Curveball answers the crucial question of the iraq war. Feb 15, 2011 so i did this and i am satisfied, because there is no dictator in iraq any more.

The strange case of curveball has become one of the most infamous episodes in the bush administrations case for war. Pulitzer prizewinning journalist bob drogin has written the definitive. Read curveball spies, lies, and the con man who caused a war by bob drogin available from rakuten kobo. Curveballs story began in november 1999 when alwan, then in his early 30s, arrived at munich s franz josef strauss airport with a tourist visa. Spies, lies, and the con man who caused a war 1 by drogin, bob isbn. By that point, the bnd had flown to dubai to interview his former boss at iraqs military industrial complex, dr basil latif, who had told them that his former underling was a liar. Spies, lies and the con man who caused a war new york. London an iraqi defector who went by the codename curveball has publicly admitted for the first time that he made up stories about. The book tells the story of an iraqi national codenamed curveball who defected to germany and the lies he told in order to stay there. Curveball was recruited out of baghdad university in 1994 to keep tabs on husseins chemicalweapons program. Curveballgermanys role in the iraq warand the horrors of. Oct 30, 2007 by the time you finish this book you will be shaking your head with wonder, or perhaps you will be shaking with anger, about the misadventures that preceded the misadventures in iraq.

Drumheller, a highlevel cia officer who publicly battled agency leaders over one of the most outlandish claims in the u. Upon entering the country he applied for political asylum because he had embezzled iraqi government money and faced prison or worse if sent home. Janabis claim about the mobile laboratories was featured. Rafid ahmed alwan aljanabi curveball admits to wmd lies. But curiously, instead of taking his story to a western embassy, which is what. Curveball fled iraq for germany in 1999, seeking asylum. Curveball, the man whose lies about weapons of mass destruction helped form the basis for invading iraq, has come clean in an interview with the bbc, as reported by british news site the. In 1999, an iraqi refugee, soon codenamed curveball, told german intelligence agents of his work on an ongoing iraqi program that produced.

Nyts judith miller carried water for worst usa debacle. Curveball comedy, crime, thriller 27 february 2020 germany curveball tells the grotesque, at times even surreal, true story of how the iraq war was started based on nothing but fake intelligence and the involvement of the german government and the german secret service. The bush administration laid blame on the cia, criticising its officials for failing to investigate doubts about curveball, which emerged after an october 2002 national intelligence estimate. In may 2004, over a year after the invasion of iraq, the cia concluded formally that curveballs information was fabricated. Reporter bob drogin on spies, lies, and the con man. This book is filled with some great humor, awesome writing, and a bittersweet ending. Curveball by bob drogin overdrive rakuten overdrive. A crucial study in the political manipulation of intelligence, understanding how curveball got us into iraq will arm us. Nabers curveball graphically demonstrates the duplicity and criminality of germanys role in the iraq war. It is also another story of serious mistakes by american intelligence in the run up to the iraq invasion after 911. The cia was largely skeptical of chalabi and the inc, but information allegedly from his group most famously from a defector codenamed curveball made its way into intelligence dossiers used by president george w.

Oct 16, 2007 the man who sold the war curveball author bob drogin talks about the iraqi defector responsible for much of the cias bogus prewar intelligence about iraqi wmd. Rafid ahmed alwan aljanabi, codenamed curveball by german and american intelligence officials who dealt with his claims, has told the guardian that he fabricated tales of mobile bioweapons trucks and clandestine factories in an attempt to bring down the saddam hussein regime. Mar 18, 2020 curveballgermanys role in the iraq warand the horrors of the concentration camp in persian. Nov 18, 2007 the highest and lowest drama in drogins book is the spectacle of administration evidence about iraq s weapons evanescing in the months before and after the invasion. Curveball tells saga of fraud who helped start iraq war. Jul 03, 2016 on june 26, 2006, the washington post reported that the cia acknowledged that curveball was a con artist who drove a taxi in iraq and spun his engineering knowledge into a fantastic but plausible.

He says he thought the game was up by the end of 2000. The iraqi defector was debriefed by german officials for a total of 21 months, with his last. Washington, dc, november 5, 2007 cbs news 60 minutes exposure last night of the iraqi agent known as curveball has put a major aspect of the bush administrations case for war against iraq. By the time you finish this book you will be shaking your head with wonder, or perhaps you will be shaking with anger, about the misadventures that preceded the misadventures in iraq. There were no iraqi weapons of mass destruction at the time powell. Curveball is a 2020 german political satire film drama directed by johannes naber. The twoway the iraqi defector who provided information that the u. The only problem this evidence was nothing more than a pack of lies. The film premiered in the berlinale special section at the 70th berlin international film festival. Curveball tells saga of fraud who helped start iraq. He came up with the plan after he escaped from iraq in the late 1990s. Curveballgermanys role in the iraq warand the horrors.

Man codenamed curveball invented tales of bioweapons iraqi told lies to try to bring down saddam hussein regime fabrications used by us as justificat. An iraqi defectors testimony was critical in paving the way to war. Man whose wmd lies led to 100,000 deaths confesses all. The book examines how a former iraqi taxi driver helped build the bush administrations case for war by making false claims about saddam. Curveball by bob drogin penguin random house audio. Although the book had some confusing moments for me, i still was impressed yet again by jordan sonnenblick. Six questions for bob drogin on curveball and the iraq war. How us was duped by iraqi fantasist looking to topple. Bob drogin this book answers the crucial question of the iraq war.

Bob drogin is the author of the newly released book curveball, the code name for the iraqi defector whose prewar claims about saddam husseins alleged mobile germwarfare labs were seized upon by the cia and bush administration. How and why was americas intelligence so catastrophically wrong. Curveball spies, lies, and the con man who caused a war book. Oct 26, 2007 the first third of the book takes place in munich, during curveballs time under german questioning. Iraqis fabricated story of biological weapons aided u. Feb 16, 2011 the strange case of curveball has become one of the most infamous episodes in the bush administrations case for war.