Curveball (Iraqi defector)

E932068

Curveball was the codename for an Iraqi defector whose fabricated claims about mobile biological weapons labs were a key but discredited source for pre-war intelligence used to justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

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Observed surface forms (2)

Surface form Occurrences
Curveball 0
Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi 0

Statements (48)

Predicate Object
instanceOf Iraqi defector
human
intelligence source
allegedRole engineer in mobile bioweapons program
allegedWorkplace Iraqi mobile biological weapons facilities
associatedWithEvent 2003 invasion of Iraq NERFINISHED
associatedWithTopic Iraq War controversy
intelligence failures
weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
asylumStatus granted asylum in Germany
claimsCharacterization fabricated
claimsLater discredited
codenameFor Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi NERFINISHED
countryOfCitizenship Iraq NERFINISHED
Iraq NERFINISHED
credibilityAssessment unreliable source
defectedTo Germany NERFINISHED
employedBy Iraqi government NERFINISHED
fieldOfWork engineering
gender male
impact contributed to intelligence failure on Iraq WMD
contributed to public belief in Iraqi WMD threat
influenced United Kingdom assessment of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
United States assessment of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
informationCitedAt United Nations Security Council NERFINISHED
informationCitedBy Colin Powell NERFINISHED
informationCitedIn Colin Powell’s 5 February 2003 UN speech NERFINISHED
informationUsedIn arguments for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
pre-war intelligence on Iraq
knownAs Rafid Ahmed Alwan NERFINISHED
Rafid Ahmed Alwan al-Janabi NERFINISHED
languageOfCodename English
laterAdmission acknowledged fabricating parts of his story
madeClaimsAbout Iraqi biological weapons program
mobile biological weapons laboratories
motiveSuggestedAs desire for asylum
personal gain
nationalityAtTimeOfDefection Iraqi
notableFor fabricated claims about Iraqi mobile biological weapons labs
role in pre-war intelligence on Iraq
occupation chemical engineer
providedInformationTo German Federal Intelligence Service NERFINISHED
United States intelligence community NERFINISHED
residence Germany
roleIn justification for the 2003 invasion of Iraq
subjectOf intelligence investigations after the Iraq War
media reports on faulty Iraq WMD intelligence
usedCodenameIn German intelligence files

Referenced by (1)

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