Slow Burn: Extra – More on the Road to Iraq

Podcast: Slow Burn (Slate Podcasts)
Episode Date: May 19, 2021
Host: Noreen Malone
Guests: Ahmed Chalabi’s friend, Ann Curry, Slate staff/bloggers

Episode Overview

This bonus episode of Slow Burn supplements the main series’ "Road to the Iraq War" season, offering additional anecdotes, first-person perspectives, and behind-the-scenes reflections from journalists and Slate staffers who experienced the era. Host Noreen Malone presents highlights from subscribers-only Slate Plus content, giving listeners deeper personal and historical context around key figures (like Ahmed Chalabi), the post-9/11 American climate, the media’s internal reactions, and the charged online discourse as the Iraq War approached.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Personal Side of Ahmed Chalabi

[02:01 – 04:13]

• Unique Social Habits:

  • Friends recall that meetings with Chalabi almost always revolved around shared meals in diverse global settings—London sushi bars, New York Chinatown, Vietnamese joints, and high-end restaurants.

  • Chalabi was described as a gourmand who appreciated both "back street hole in the wall" places and upscale establishments, fully embodying a "global elite" palate.

    “He definitely valued interesting food experiences and his taste varied...he was a gourmand. He definitely was global elite in terms of his taste, but he did appreciate good food of any sort.”
    —Ahmed Chalabi’s friend [02:31]

• Personal Quirks:

  • Later in life, Chalabi adopted a strict carb-free (Atkins) diet, avoiding bread and rice, except for ice cream—a humorous contradiction.

    “He always made an exception for ice cream. For some reason he thought ice cream was okay in this rigid Atkins format.”
    —Ahmed Chalabi’s friend [03:35]

• Memorable Anecdote:

  • Chalabi introduced his friend to sushi for the first time in London in the mid-1990s, a time when sushi was still unfamiliar to many in Western cities.

2. The Post-9/11 Fear and the Anthrax Attacks

[04:13 – 07:53]

• Ann Curry Reflects:

  • Ann Curry, then at NBC, shares firsthand how the anthrax letters in October 2001 created panic in newsrooms shortly after 9/11.

  • NBC employees were advised to take Cipro as a precaution, creating visible anxiety among staff. Curry describes a heightened sense of vulnerability and being “under siege,” even as she herself tried to remain calm.

    “I did notice terror in the eyes of some of my colleagues...After the anthrax scare, [one colleague] was just terrorized.”
    —Ann Curry [05:35]

  • There’s a memorable account of a friend’s panic—mistaking beet-colored urine for anthrax symptoms after dining with Curry.

    “One of my girlfriends who came to the dinner was so nervous that she rushed herself to the emergency room the next morning...she’d eaten beets.”
    —Ann Curry [06:40]

  • Curry draws a distinction between the lingering dread of 9/11 and the more localized terror of the anthrax scare:

    “The overwhelming cause of fear was 9/11. And the anthrax scare didn’t really hold a candle to the fear that 9/11 had created.”
    —Ann Curry [07:47]

3. Slate’s Role and the Early Blogosphere Around the Iraq War

[07:53 – 12:44]

• The Pressure to Have an Opinion:

  • Slate bloggers recall the very active, performative culture of early online journalism, where writers felt compelled to take a public stance on major events like the Iraq War, partly for readership and digital attention.

    “I was desperately looking for a reason to support the war...I guess I instinctively reacted against leftwing opposition to the war.”
    —Slate Blogger 1 [08:48]

  • Era characterized by “freedom to say things, to try them out,” acknowledging how many now-controversial takes were simply part of a chaotic, rapid publishing cycle:

    “People were just flying kites out there and it might be, you know, the war is going to be over by Thanksgiving. But I remember...the freedom to say things, to try them out. And there's a lot of things that I wrote...that were just wrong.”
    —Will, Slate Blogger [10:17]

• Conformity vs. Dissent:

  • Despite the ethos of open debate, by the time of the Iraq invasion, a conformist pressure in favor of war emerged. Opposing the war became socially isolated, even in digital spaces that had championed diverse ideas.

    “By the time the Iraq war was approaching, a kind of conformist mindset had set in...the easy thing to do was to support the war. And that, to me, remains one of the great mysteries.”
    —Slate Blogger 2 [11:30]

• Reflections on Media Responsibility:

  • The bloggers recall internal skepticism (such as Jack Shaefer’s doubts post–Colin Powell’s UN speech), but also the power of misinformation and the groupthink that led many to support the war.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Attribution | |-----------|-------|-------------| | 02:31 | “He definitely valued interesting food experiences and his taste varied...gourmand. He definitely was global elite...but he did appreciate good food of any sort.” | Ahmed Chalabi’s friend | | 03:35 | “He always made an exception for ice cream...in this rigid Atkins format.” | Ahmed Chalabi’s friend | | 05:35 | “I did notice terror in the eyes of some of my colleagues...After the anthrax scare, [one colleague] was just terrorized.” | Ann Curry | | 06:40 | “One of my girlfriends who came to the dinner was so nervous that she rushed herself to the emergency room the next morning...she’d eaten beets.” | Ann Curry | | 07:47 | “The overwhelming cause of fear was 9/11. And the anthrax scare didn’t really hold a candle...” | Ann Curry | | 08:48 | “I was desperately looking for a reason to support the war...instinctively reacted against leftwing opposition.” | Slate Blogger 1 | | 10:17 | “People were just flying kites out there...there's a lot of things that I wrote in the era of blogs that were just wrong.” | Will, Slate Blogger | | 11:30 | “By the time the Iraq war was approaching, a kind of conformist mindset had set in...the easy thing to do was to support the war.” | Slate Blogger 2 |

Key Segment Timestamps

• Ahmed Chalabi Anecdotes: 02:01–04:13
• Ann Curry on Anthrax & 9/11: 04:13–07:53
• Slate & Media Bloggers Reflect on War Discourse: 07:53–12:44

Tone and Language

The episode maintains a conversational, reflective style, blending personal anecdotes with candid admissions about uncertainty, fear, and the complexities of hindsight.

Final Thoughts

This bonus Slow Burn episode provides a rare, personal look at the events and mindsets that shaped media and public opinion before the Iraq War—shedding light on how history was experienced by those who helped write its first drafts. The inclusion of offbeat human details (Chalabi’s ice cream exception, newsroom panic over anthrax) alongside media introspection offers a multidimensional view that adds nuance to our understanding of this pivotal period.