Search the 935 Iraq War false statements

Introduction

Update: March 22, 2023: The database that was the basis for this story was hosted by a third party and ceased functioning sometime after its original publishing date. We obtained the data from that contractor and have made it available in its entirety here.

In a widely-reported study of orchestrated deception, the Center found that President Bush and seven top officials made 935 false statements leading up to the Iraq war — and offer them in a database for all to see.

Search 380,000 words of every public pronouncement by top Bush administration officials on the existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and on the links between Iraq and Al Qaeda.

Leading the pack, President Bush made 232 false statements about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq and 28 false statements about Iraq’s connections with Al Qaeda. Secretary of State Colin Powell followed close behind with 244 false statements about weapons of mass destruction and 10 about Al Qaeda links.

How to search the false statements: Click on an individual’s photo to see their timeline of false statements, and read the actual statements below.

Searches may also be limited by subject, by using the appropriate selection in the “By field” menu.

Database design by Visible Government Online and Squirro