Iraq: when intoxication forced war

Rarely has a state lie had such dramatic consequences. In 2003, the Bush administration presented false evidence of Iraq's possession of weapons of mass destruction, before invading the country and getting bogged down in a bloody war.

After supporting Iraq in its war against Iran (1980-1988), Washington turned against Iraq in the Gulf War (1990-1991). Following Iraq's defeat, United Nations (UN) experts were commissioned to inspect Iraqi weapons production sites and oversee the destruction of long-range ballistic missiles and biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. The latter were dismissed by Saddam Hussein in 1997, fuelling tensions between Iraq and the West. These tensions took on a new dimension on September 11, 2001, when Islamic terrorism shattered the world.