# 157. The Road to Iraq: What the Spies Got Wrong (Ep 5)

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-classified-7102916/157-the-road-to-iraq-what-the-spies-got-wrong-ep-5
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-classified-7102916/157-the-road-to-iraq-what-the-spies-got-wrong-ep-5.md
Podcast: [The Rest Is Classified](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-rest-is-classified-7102916)
Published: 2026-05-17T23:20:00+00:00
Episode link: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT1715844104.mp3
Audio file: https://pdst.fm/e/traffic.megaphone.fm/GLT1715844104.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-rest-is-classified-7102916/episodes/157-the-road-to-iraq-what-the-spies-got-wrong-ep-5
Duration seconds: 3230

## Resource

Who was “Curveball”? Why did Colin Powell rely so heavily on flawed intelligence in his presentation to the UN? And how did this set the tone for the opposition to war? As David and Gordon reach the penultimate episode in their series on Iraq WMD, they discuss how things could have gone so badly wrong. ------------------- Join the Declassified Club to go deeper into the world of espionage with exclusive Q&As, interviews with top intelligence insiders, regular livestreams, ad-free listening, early access to episodes and live show tickets, and weekly deep dives into original spy stories. Members also get curated reading lists, special book discounts, prize draws, and access to our private chat community. Just go to ⁠⁠⁠therestisclassified.com⁠⁠. ------------------- Email: ⁠⁠therestisclassified@goalhanger.com⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@restisclassified⁠ Video Editor: Joe Pettit Social Producer: Emma Jackson Assistant Producer: Alfie Rowe Producer: Becki Hills Head of History: Dom Johnson Exec Producer: Tony Pastor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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## Transcript

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