I recommend Juan Cole's blog entry on how the Bush administration used false confessions obtained under torture to connect Saddam to 9-11, in order to justify the attack on Iraq.
This reminds me of another Mollah Nasreddin story:
A powerful King once told Nasreddin that unless he proved immediately that he had a great gift of insight into magical things as often claimed, he would have Nasreddin's head chopped off.
Nasreddin replied, "Oh wise and powerful Lord, I look up at the sky and see angels singing your praises, and I look down into the earth and see demons shudder at your greatness!"
"How is it that you see these things?" the King asked.
"Fear. Fear helps a lot" the old Mollah responded.
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