I'm having a brain fart re: the run-up to the Iraq War - need help, please.

[calimary]

I can't, for the life of me, think of the name of the shadowy informer who was among those feeding crappy intel to cheney's office. Beyond ahmed chalabi. Somebody whose code name started with "C". I absolutely CANNOT think of it. Corkscrew? Cheetah? Anybody remember?

Thank you in advance! I'm discussing the whole mess with a good friend and I'm drawing a blank.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Curveball. nt

[calimary]

2. YESSS! That's the one. Thank you pinboy3niner!

Yet another reason why I love DU!

:patriot: :yourock: :fistbump: :thumbsup: :applause: :headbang:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

3. Looking at it another way, April Glaspie contributed

In mid 1990, it's rumored that April Glaspie conveyed the United States' "permission" for Saddam Hussein to annex Kuwait.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_Glaspie

Then, I guess, GHWB had a change of heart and started the Iraq war in 1991. It hasn't really stopped since then, but cooled down some, punctuated by no-fly-zone enforcement attacks during the WJC years.

I think GWB felt that Iraq was "unfinished family business" and wanted to impress Dad by conquering Iraq and removing Hussein. Any excuse was fine with George II, as long as he could re-heat the continuing conflict.

:hi:

[affrayer]

4. April Glaspie? Slowly I turned...Step by Step...

"In mid 1990, it's rumored that April Glaspie conveyed the United States' "permission" for Saddam Hussein to annex Kuwait."

This has got to be one of the most under reported events in the history of America. And it wasn't JUST Glaspie. She ran the decision up the flag pole and it came back down to not object to Saddam's invasion of Kuwait.

[The_Commonist]

6. "We have no opinion on the Arab-Arab conflicts, like your border disagreement with Kuwait..."

Riiiiight...
Suuuuuurrrree...

No opinion whatsoever.
Whatever you say, Madam Ambassador...

[Amonester]

8. That, and Kuwait's Ambassador to the U.S's own daughter. lying

and crying on teevee about incubators. Turned out to be a $10 million PR stunt to sway the U.S. people into supporting a fabricated war.

[yellowwood]

5. More Here About Curveball

A interview with the author of a new book on the Iraqi defector code-named "Curveball," whose made-up intelligence on Saddam's WMD programs was central to the Bush Administration's case for invasion.

ttp://www.alternet.org/world/65743/

[calimary]

7. Thanks much! Good stuff.