The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "mass destruction" ...
-
Curveball: Spies, Lies, and the Conman who caused a war
The book lays out the defining story of the pre-intelligence failure in Iraq. It focuses on CURVE BALL, the American-issued code name for a young Iraqi chemical engineer who defected to Germany in 1999. During dozens of debriefings with German intelligence officers, he claimed that he had helped design and build sophisticated biological weapons for Saddam Hussein." The story was a hoax, yet the CIA used this evidence as its pretext for war despite numerous warnings about the validity of the claims. Only after its invasion of Iraq did the US formally acknowledge that CURVE BALL was a fraud.
Tags: CIA; Iraq; weapons of mass destruction; WMD; war on terror; terrorism; George Tenet; George W. Bush; Colin Powell; intelligence; Dick Cheney; Bill Drogin; spies
-
Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal and the Selling of the Iraq War
"Hubris is a narrative that tells the behind the scenes of story of events inside the White House, CIA, Pentagon, State Department and Congress as President Bush sold the country on the need to go to war against Iraq. It reveals how the Bush administration distorted, twisted, and embellished intelligence to present a thoroughly false picture that Iraq was a storehouse of weapons of mass destruction, was reconstituting its nuclear program, and had relationships with al Qaeda terrorists- despite significant doubts and dissents from numerous intelligence analysts and government experts." It also delves into the role of the news organizations in selling the idea and how White House officials undermined Iraq critics.
Tags: Iraq War; al Qaeda; George W. Bush; Bush; weapons of mass destruction; CIA; Pentagon; White House; Congress; Saddam Hussein; Karl Rove; Dick Cheney;
-
Jaded Tasks: Brass Plates, Black Ops, & Big Oil
The details of how the September 11,2001 attacks were caused in part by America's economic and intelligence associations with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Madsen looks into how George W. Bush used private militaries to conduct his "new world order."
Tags: George Bush; Rwanda; covert operations; FOIA; Septemeber 11; Iraq; terrorism; mass destruction; intelligence agency; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; politics
-
State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration
The Bush Administration has pushed many policies that allow for more intrusive law enforcement and investigation during its War on Terror. Author James Risen examines the National Security Agency's wireless wiretaps, a CIA report that showed that Iraq's WMD program had ceased, but which was buried; politics' heavy involvement of post-invasion intelligence in Iraq, as well as snafus involving relations with Iran.
Tags: Bush Administration; War on Terror; warrantless wiretaps; CIA; Iraq; Weapons of Mass Destruction; WMD; Iraq War
-
The One Percent Doctrine: Deep Inside America's Pursuit of its Enemies Since 9/11
Suskind identifies the doctrine, formulated by Vice President Cheney,as one that "separates analysis from action and embraces suspicion as a threshold for the use of American power." Suskind says Cheney was "the primary architect of U.S. foreign policy" during the period the book profiles, from immediately following 9/11/2001 until 2004. Suskind says in his IRE contest questionnaire that he was able to reassure several sources that he was willing to go to jail for an indefinite period of time to avoid nasming sources; and gave an example of his unwillingness "to reveal sources within ther government to quash the disinformation from ther FBI. Suskind says "The incident is, tereby, instructive in regard to new rules of engagement: the government will release information to cloud an independent report if they are convinced the reporter will be unable, or unwilling to reveal his sources."
Tags: FBI; CIA; NSA; NSC; Iraq; Pentagon; bin Laden; Zawahiri; White House; war on terror; al Qaeda; disinformation; Weapons of Mass Destruction; WMD; Chemical weapons; human sources; humint; sigint; George Tenet; Condoleeza Rice; Zubaydah; DCI
-
Bush's Spook: The destructive reign of CIA director Porter Goss
Dreyfuss describes in detail the changes in the CIA after Goss's appointment by G.W. Bush. Dreyfuss found that 90 senior CIA officials resigned when Goss took over and morale plummeted. Dreyfuss also writes that part of Goss's mission was to politicize the CIA and "yank the errant agency onto Bush's team." One example was the White House pressure for the CIA to bend its conclusions on the existence or nonexistence of Iraqi WMDs.
Tags: CIA; foreign intelligence; national security; international terrorism; weapons of mass destruction
-
The Man Who Sold the War
The author investigated the company, Rendon Group, and its involvement in selling the Iraq war to Americans. The story focuses on a secretive Washington defense contractor and executive of the Rendon Group, John Rendon.
Tags: war; Iraq; defense; Rendon Group; John Rendon; defense contractor; weapons of mass destruction; Washington; Pentagon; Iraqi National Congress; Judith Miller
-
Project security: Indiana's WMD
This WISH investigation reveals the danger to the public from the 1,200 tons of VX stored at the Newport Chemical Weapons Depot in Indiana. The TV station uncovers a number of security lapses at the depot, questions the efficacy of the government's disaster plan, and exposes a number of lies by the U.S. Army regarding the safe destruction of the chemical.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; VX nerve agent; chemical weapons; weapons of mass destruction; WMD
-
A pretext for war: 9/11, Iraq, and the abuse of America's intelligence agencies
This book reveals how the threats of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction and links between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda were used by the Bush administration to wage a war that had been years in the planning. The book investigates how the Bush administration subverted the CIA by creating a secret intelligence unit bent on exaggerating the threats from Iraq to suit the plans of hard-line neoconservatives. The book also shows the failure of many major news organizations to question the administration's claims.
Tags: Bush; Iraq; CIA; Saddam Hussein; 9/11; al Qaeda; war; weapons of mass destruction
-
20/20 First Responders
This report looks at whether the "first responders" that is the fire departments and emergency technicians can respond effectively in the event of any terrorist attacks, especially if weapons of mass destruction are used. After talking to officials, the report concluded that the emergency task force does not have any training nor the equipment to counter such a threat.
Tags: bio terrorism; weapons of mass destruction; 9/11; nuclear weapons; terrorism; first responders; fire fighters