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To celebrate the new season of Slow Burn, I'm going to tell you about the weird stuff I found in my basement during the pandemic (trust me, it will make sense) https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s5/road-to-the-iraq-war/e1/ahmad-chalabi (1/)
Things you need to know: the new season of Slow Burn is all about the lead up to the Iraq War. During this time period I was right out of college and working for World News Tonight. FUN FACT: @lizzieohreally and I were working there... together!! 
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During 9/11 I was actually driving to Graceland for vacation, but I came back to NYC mid-trip after the attack. Within a month envelopes of anthrax started arriving at news orgs. A producer down the hall from me had a baby who tested positive. https://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/infantsanthraxjournal.html (3/)
The next epi of Slow Burn gets into this moment, and how it sowed fear and shaped the lead up to the war. When I was cleaning up my basement mid-pandemic, I found this remnant from back then I'd forgotten about. I guess I tested negative! (4/)
I had strong anti-war feelings but working in traditional media at the time, I couldn’t express them. Instead I booked a weekend production shift so I could cover the massive protests on 2/15/03. https://abcnews.go.com/International/video/day-history-feb-15-2003-60884963 (5/)
I still remember telling my tape editor (a conservative guy) to pump up the volume on the cheers in the crowd. THE SIDE EYE I GOT. (6/)
When I went through my basement, I found this, too -- the *next* medical test I got for work. Blood typing, since I’d been sent to Kuwait to cover the invasion, and might need a transfusion? Still have my gas mask downstairs, too. The anti-sarin (?) injectable is expired. (7/)
I wish I had asked some of the questions @NoreenMalone asks in Slow Burn Season 5… 20 years ago. Which is basically why I’m hosting What Next now. Enough about me: LISTEN! It’s great! Noreen is great! Huge shouts to @jdeleon1291 and @sophsumm! https://slate.com/podcasts/slow-burn/s5/road-to-the-iraq-war/e1/ahmad-chalabi (8/8)
