Lack of critical media gave Government free rein on Iraq invasion:

"Almost everything the Anglo-US leaders told us about the invasion has proven to be false. Iraq was invaded to rid Saddam of his weapons of mass destruction. Almost everyone now concedes such weapons did not exist. Such weapons were especially dangerous, we were told, because of Saddam's links with al-Qaeda. Almost everyone now knows that no such links existed.

We were told the invasion of Iraq would help solve the Arab-Israeli conflict. The prospects of Middle East peace have never been so remote. We were told the invasion would help solve the threat of Islamist terrorism. Nothing has given the ideology of Islamism a greater fillip than the Anglo-American occupation of Iraq. We were told Iraqis would welcome the invading forces as liberators. Iraq is now a tinderbox... "

Robert Manne, professor of politics at La Trobe University, reports on the misreporting of the Murdoch Press. He claims a general pro-war directive was issued throughout the Murdoch organisation a month before the war.