▁an ▁AA - style ▁support ▁group ▁for ▁people ▁who ▁started ▁the ▁Ira q ▁War . ▁The ▁cast ▁includes ▁C IA ▁oper atives , ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁inform ant , ▁and ▁a ▁B ND ▁oper ative . ▁ ▁The ▁story ▁focus es ▁on ▁the ▁rec ruit ment ▁and ▁event ual ▁dis gra ce ▁of ▁an ▁Ira qi ▁def ector , ▁c oden amed ▁" Cur ve ball ," ▁and ▁the ▁use ▁and ▁mis use ▁of ▁his ▁testim ony ▁by ▁the ▁C IA , ▁State ▁Department , ▁and ▁Bush ▁Administration . ▁In ▁Bag hd addy , ▁as ▁in ▁reality , ▁Cur ve ball ▁provides ▁Western ▁intelligence ▁ag encies ▁with ▁false ▁intelligence ▁on ▁Ira qi ▁mobile ▁weapons ▁labor ator ies . ▁This ▁intelligence , ▁which ▁is ▁later ▁discovered ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁fabric ated , ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁Secretary ▁of ▁State ▁Col in ▁Pow ell ▁in ▁his ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁speech ▁to ▁the ▁UN ▁Security ▁Council ▁to ▁justify ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Ira q ▁and ▁over throw ▁of ▁S add am ▁Hus sein . ▁ ▁Historical ▁context ▁ ▁Near ▁the ▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁show , ▁the ▁cast ▁explains ▁to ▁the ▁audience ▁that ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁characters ▁are ▁lo os ely ▁based ▁on ▁actual ▁figures , ▁while ▁others ▁are ▁compos ites ▁of ▁multiple ▁figures . ▁The ▁story ▁he ws ▁closely ▁to ▁historical ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁period , ▁particularly ▁Bob ▁Dro gin ' s ▁book ▁Cur ve ball : ▁Sp ies , ▁L ies , ▁and ▁the ▁Con ▁Man ▁Who ▁C aused ▁a ▁War ▁( 2 0 0