This website contains a collection of misleading and inaccurate public statements made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq. The source of this information is a report created by the US House Committee on Government Reform. The statements are sorted by person:

President George Bush

Vice President Richard Cheney

Secretary of State Colin Powell

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld

National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice

The format of each entry is as follows:

The Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq

Who spoke, and on what general topic: "The quote" Source: Date and source information. Explanation The reason why this statement was known to be inaccurate or misleading at the time the statement was made.

For Example:

The Bush Administration's Public Statements on Iraq

President George W. Bush on Nuclear Capabilities: "The regime has the scientists and facilities to build nuclear weapons, and is seeking the materials needed to do so." Source: President, House Leadership Agree on Iraq Resolution, White House (10/2/2002). Explanation This statement was misleading because it failed to acknowledge the intelligence community's deep division on the issue of whether Iraq was actively pursuing its nuclear program.

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Background

On March 19, 2003, U.S. forces began military operations in Iraq. Addressing the nation about the purpose of the war on the day the bombing began, President Bush stated:

"The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder."

One year later, many doubts have been raised regarding the Administration's assertions about the threat posed by Iraq. Prior to the war in Iraq, the President and his advisors repeatedly claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction that jeopardized the security of the United States. The failure to discover these weapons after the war has led to questions about whether the President and his advisors were candid in describing Iraq's threat.

The Iraq on the Record Report (pdf), prepared at the request of Rep. Henry A. Waxman, is a comprehensive examination of the statements made by the five Administration officials most responsible for providing public information and shaping public opinion on Iraq: President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin Powell, and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice.

Information on this website comes from this report. This website identifies 237 specific misleading statements about the threat posed by Iraq made by these five officials in 125 public appearances in the time leading up to and after the commencement of hostilities in Iraq.

The Special Investigations Division compiled a database of statements about Iraq made by President Bush, Vice President Cheney, Secretary Rumsfeld, Secretary Powell, and National Security Advisor Rice. All of the statements in the database were drawn from speeches, press conferences and briefings, interviews, written statements, and testimony by the five officials.

This Iraq on the Record database contains statements made by the five officials that were misleading at the time they were made. The database does not include statements that appear in hindsight to be erroneous but were accurate reflections of the views of intelligence officials at the time they were made.

For more information, please see the the original report, Iraq on the Record.

This website is not affiliated with Congressman Henry Waxman. For more information on Congressman Waxman please see his Congressional Site, the US House Committee on Government Reform, or LA PAC.