Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world

Past Event
Seminar

Anatomy of Self Deception: Belief, Judgment, and the Iraq War Decision

Open to the Public

President George W. Bush and his top advisers shared the unquestioned belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD), both stocks from the past and active programs to expand. These beliefs, coupled with the threat of terrorism made vivid in 9/11, provided the public justification for the Iraq war, and more importantly are at the center of the decision process. The beliefs were, of course, wholly mistaken. How they came to be the central ingredient of the war decision reveals deep flaws in the reasoning of individual analysts and policymakers and in the institutional processes of government.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.

Date: Time: - Location: Taubman Building - Kalb Seminar Room, Room 275
Vice President Dick Cheney, addressing the Heritage Foundation in Washington, Oct. 10, 2003, defends the administration's decision for war in Iraq. He said the U.S. still faces enemies that could inflict hundreds of thousands of U.S. deaths in one day.

About

Many factors have been cited to explain why the United States went to war in Iraq.

At bottom, President George W. Bush and his top advisers shared the unquestioned belief that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD), both stocks from the past and active programs to expand. These beliefs, coupled with the threat of terrorism made vivid in 9/11, provided the public justification for the war, and more importantly are at the center of the decision process. The beliefs were, of course, wholly mistaken. How they came to be the central ingredient of the war decision reveals deep flaws in the reasoning of individual analysts and policymakers and in the institutional processes of government.

Please join us! Coffee and tea provided. Everyone is welcome, but admittance will be on a first come–first served basis.