The Nayirah Testimony — Babies Torn from Incubators
Retconned HistoryIn 1990, a 15-year-old girl known only as "Nayirah" gave tearful testimony to Congress about Iraqi soldiers removing babies from incubators in Kuwait. It was fabricated.
What Was Taught
Iraqi soldiers invaded a hospital and pulled premature babies from incubators, leaving them to die on the cold floor. A young Kuwaiti girl bravely testified to what she witnessed.
Primary Source Record
Nayirah was actually the daughter of Kuwait's ambassador to the US. Her testimony was organized by the PR firm Hill & Knowlton, which was paid $10.7 million by the Kuwaiti government. Amnesty International initially supported the claim, then retracted it. Human Rights Watch found no evidence of the incubator story. Her testimony was cited by multiple senators as justification for authorizing the Gulf War.
Significance
A PR firm manufactured testimony that directly influenced a congressional vote to go to war. The case is now a textbook example of war propaganda in the modern era. Hill & Knowlton's involvement is fully documented.
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