Book Details How a Curveball Spun Into a War

An Iraqi defector codenamed Curveball, a primary source behind the WMD intelligence that inspired the invasion, is the subject of a new book that bears his handle, but  the CIA is the most guilty party in author Bob Drogin's account.  Analysts “twisted” and “magnified” the low-level engineer's stories beyond recognition, Drogin tells Salon.

The tales weren’t true to begin with; Curveball artfully invented state secrets to gain entry to  Germany. Yet he wasn’t vetted by the US, even as his fabrications became essential. Drogin calls it “the worst intelligence failure in American history.” He’s careful to decry the notion of the administration as a war-crazed cabal, arguing that it was internal CIA failure that blew Curveball out of proportion. (More CIA stories.)