Politicising intelligence: what went wrong with the UK and US assessments on Iraqi WMD in 2002

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis essay aims at establishing whether the failure of the intelligence reports that led to the Iraqi War is to blame on flaws in the analysis or on the alleged politicisation. It will do so by examining three possible classes of explanations for the failure. Firstly, it will analyse structural features of the UK and US Intelligence Communities, explaining how the organisation can affect the accuracy of the assessments. Secondly, it will focus on the analytical breakdowns occurred in the 2002 process of assessment. Thirdly, it will address the issue of politicisation, in both its forms of political pressure and political representation of the perceived truth. Finally, it will argue that, although the analysis was undoubtedly flawed, the politicisation played a major role in the failure of the 2002 assessments.