Nov. 4, 2007
Faulty Intel Source "Curve Ball" Revealed
60 Minutes: Iraqi's Fabricated Story Of Biological Weapons Aided U.S. Arguments For Invasion
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Play CBS Video Video Curve Ball Revealed Bob Simon tells the story of the Iraqi defector known as "Curve Ball," whose fabricated story of mobile biological weapons drove the U.S. argument for invading Iraq.
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Video Drumheller On Early Warnings "Only on the Web:" Former CIA agent Tyler Drumheller was warned by German authorities that the Iraqi intelligence source known as Curve Ball might not be credible.
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Rafid Ahmed Alwan, seen here dancing at a Baghdad wedding in 1993. (CBS)
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Interactive WMD Fallout Controversy surrounds the hunt for weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
60 Minutes showed a copy of the record to Dr. Basil, Alwan’s former boss and a scientist himself.
"It’s a 59, 50, 50, 50, 50, 50, 67. I can see all his marks are 50, 50s," Dr. Basil remarks.
Those marks were out of a score of 100.
"Not a great student," Simon remarks.
"Never. No, never," Dr. Basil replies.
Not only that, it turns out Djerf al Nadaf was a seed purification plant after all. Dr. Basil was the head of production design. Alwan worked for him as an engineer, but only while the facility was being built.
"Rafid left few months after we finished Djerf al Nadaf, which was I would expect Rafid left sometime 1995," Dr. Basil says.
He did. 60 Minutes discovered Alwan then worked at the Babel television production company, where he stole expensive equipment. An arrest warrant was issued for him; charges were dropped when Alwan agreed to repay Babel. After that misadventure? The man who invited Alwan to his wedding, Dr. Hillal al Dulaimi, says Alwan’s career took an even more unlikely turn.
"He working for a cosmetics," Dr. Hillal tells Simon. "He did some homemade cosmetics."
As for the biological accident that supposedly killed 12 people at Djerf al Nadaf in 1998? It never happened. Rafid Alwan wasn't even in Iraq when he said it happened. He had left the country, first traveling to Jordan, then Egypt, then Libya, before making his way to Morocco. From there, Alwan’s trail ran cold, until he showed up in Germany and became Curve Ball. The case finally ended in Munich in March 2004, when the Germans allowed a CIA officer to interrogate Curve Ball.
"And the key thing, I think, was the wall. He showed him pictures of the wall," Drumheller remembers.
What did Curve Ball say?
"'You doctored these pictures.' And he said, 'No, we didn't.' He said, we didn’t doctor them," Drumheller says.
The wall had been built in 1997. Curve Ball didn't know it existed because he had already left Djerf al Nadaf.
"Curve Ball was caught," Simon remarks.
"And Curve Ball said, 'I don’t think I’m gonna say anything else,'" Drumheller says.
The CIA finally acknowledged Curve Ball was a fraud. But why did he do it?
Former CIA insider Tyler Drumheller has an idea. "It was a guy trying to get his Green Card, essentially, in Germany, playing the system for what it was worth. It just shows sort of the law of unintended consequences," he says.
Rafid Alwan got what he wanted. He is thought to be living in Germany today, most likely under a new name, after pulling off one of the deadliest con jobs of our time.
Produced By Draggan Mihailovich
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 929 CommentsToo bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. So now he''s living the good life, while hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered because of his lies -- and instead of prosecuting him, the bushdicks are probably still paying him off.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. So now he''s living the good life, while hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered because of his lies -- and instead of prosecuting him, the bushdicks are probably still paying him off.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. So now he''s living the good life, while hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered because of his lies -- and instead of prosecuting him, the bushdicks are probably still paying him off.
1) Who is Central Group Chief, Margaret Henoch referring to when discussing that she was ignored? Why did that person%u2019s input take precedent, and not Margaret%u2019s? Who was involved?
2) How historically typical is it for one person to make a %u201Cslam dunk%u201D remark that the Executive claims as the sole reason for making the final call? (i.e., in relation to Kennedy%u2019s wisdom and pause during the missile crisis.) Given history, should we citizens have expected the Executive or Powell to have pressed further beyond Tenant%u2019s %u201Cslam dunk?%u201D
3) The report says Curveball appeared credible as presented by the CIA. But to whom, and why?
4) Is the ease with which evidence was accepted by the Executive historically typical or suspect?
5) The month following Powell%u2019s presentation, several concrete flaws were reported to the Executive regarding Curveball%u2019s story. Why did it not change anything? Why were the inspectors%u2019 findings ignored? This was well after %u201Cslam dunk,%u201D so why did we still go to war? Who knew what when?
This report is not just about Curveball. It%u2019s ultimately another report about the events leading to war. I would consider the above questions connected to accountability higher priority than Curveball%u2019s grades or work in cosmetics.
You often have reports that are important for Americans to consume. If you read this, thanks! If not, have a great week anyway.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. So now he''s living the good life, while hundreds of thousands of people have been murdered because of his lies -- and instead of prosecuting him, the bushdicks are probably still paying him off.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. Obviously he''s living the good life now, no doubt paid off handsomely with our tax dollars.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
"Curveball" gave the bushdicks everything they wanted on a platinum platter. Obviously he''s living the good life now, no doubt paid off handsomely with our tax dollars.
Too bad Clinton didn''t have the guts to have Herbert arrested and tried for his treason right then. It would have saved us a lot of grief and a lot of lives.
They must all be brought to account for their actions!
We are not safer, terrorism has not be reduced. On the contrary, the root of terror in occupied Palestine is still being ignored.
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There is simply no other politician like Ron Paul. He understands the ills of our nation and how to cure them. The Doctor is in!
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