Thread by @AaronBastani

Many are sceptical of things they are told ahead of or during war, including by their own government. We are repeatedly told this is irrational & that to question things makes one a conspiracy theorist (tho of course they exist too). So here's a thread about 'Nayirah' in 1990 1/9

In October 1990, with the US public unsure about war in Iraq, a 15 year old known as 'Nayirah' testifies to the congressional human rights caucus. She had previously volunteered in a hospital in Kuwait (weird for a 15 year old but okay) . She cries during her testimony 2/9

While working in a Kuwaiti hospital, 'Nayirah' claimed to have seen Iraqi soldiers enter and remove babies from incubators - leaving 312 to die on the floor. Unthinkable evil - which sounds like something from a movie. This understandably generated a strong public response 3/9

George Bush senior repeated this claim in 10 subsequent speeches. Bush was so convincing that Amnesty International reported the story. Polls in August (Gallup) found only 17% of the American public supported immediate military intervention. By December that figure was 41%. 4/9

The following January the Senate voted 52 to 47 to authorize U.S military force in Iraq. Seven senators cited Nayirah’s testimony to justify their stance backing the use of force in Kuwait 5/9

But here's the thing. None of this ever happened. And 'Nayirah' - the volunteer nurse? She was the daughter of Saud Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti ambassador to the United States. She'd been coached by consultancy Hill & Knowlton who sent video of her testimony far and wide 6/9

This was, in effect, a PR campaign in an information war for people's consent to go to war (including elected legislators). Yet this particular 'event' was entirely made up. It was the kind of propaganda you use against enemy populations 7/9

Amnesty later issued a correction, with executive director John Healey (not that one) accusing the Bush administration of "opportunistic manipulation of the international human rights movement" 8/9

It "found no reliable evidence that Iraqi forces had caused the deaths of babies by removing them or ordering their removal from incubators."

The lesson? Despite the default of contemporary politics & media being permanent hysteria, a dose of healthy scepticism is rational 9/9