154. The Road to Iraq: Saddam Hussein's Fatal Error (Ep 2)

The Rest Is Classified

Goalhanger

History

4.4 • 2K Ratings

🗓️ 6 May 2026

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Why did Saddam Hussein secretly destroy his weapons of mass destruction? When did the CIA start plotting against the Iraqi dictator? And did Hussein and Osama bin Laden ever meet? In the second part of their series on Iraq WMD, David and Gordon chart how the mystery of Saddam Hussein’s weapons deepens. ------------------- THE REST IS CLASSIFIED LIVE 2026 at The Rest Is Fest: Buy your tickets ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to see David and Gordon live on stage at London’s Southbank Centre on 4 September: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/the-rest-is-classified-live/⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------------------- Sign-up for our free newsletter where producer Becki takes you behind the scenes of the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://mailchi.mp/goalhanger.com/tric-free-newsletter-sign⁠-up⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ------------------- 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 or join on Apple Podcasts. ------------------- Get a 10% discount on business PCs, printers and accessories using the code TRIC10. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://HP.com/CLASSIFIED⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information. T&C's apply. ------------------- 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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0:00.0	For exclusive interviews, bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to series,
0:09.0	first look at live show tickets, a weekly newsletter, and discounted books.
0:13.1	Join the declassified club at the rest is classified.com.
0:18.2	Make your summer with Starbucks.
0:36.6	Make it silky. Make it creamy, make it ice cool, make it take the scenic route, make it sunset vibes all day, make it soft launch energy, make it smooth, make it strawberry matcha, caramel moka or brown sugar. Make it yours. Discover the new Starbucks cloud
0:38.9	frappuccino blended beverage range today. Their delicious, creamy cold foam will make your
0:44.1	summer. Subject to availability while stocks last. Some follow the noise. Bloomberg follows the money.
0:52.3	Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings.
0:56.4	There's a money side to every story.
0:58.9	Get the money side of the story.
1:01.0	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
1:17.2	What has happened to Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction?
1:25.0	As inspectors hunt for them on the ground, the CIA plots regime change, and the confrontation builds.
1:27.5	Well, welcome to the rest is classified. I'm David McCloskey.
1:28.6	And I'm Gordon Carrara.
1:29.5	And we are in the wake of the First Gulf War, the 1991 War, that ousted Saddam Hussein from Kuwait.
1:38.9	And Saddam Hussein has made a very fateful decision.
1:44.8	I would also argue a very surprising decision that is going to set in motion an incredible
1:53.3	misunderstanding between Saddam Hussein and the United States of America.
1:57.6	And it is a decision that no one really knows about or understands at the time.
2:08.2	This episode is brought to you by HP. In intelligence work, it's rarely the obvious problem
2:14.5	that causes failure. It's the overlooked detail or the flaw nobody quite
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