In 2003, former Secretary of State Colin Powell delivered a speech to the United Nations in which he claimed to provide evidence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Due to his credentials, reputation, and position Powell was highly regarded as providing expert testimony. As it turned out, the evidence that Powell provided was false and the weapons did not exist. What questions should Powell’s audience have asked when evaluating his testimony? Which questions might have led to the audience to be more critical of Powell’s evidence?
What will be an ideal response?
Audiences should examine expert testimony for relevance, reliability, and recency. A
sample answer might point out that the audience might question if the testimony clearly supports
the claim being offered. Is the testimony credible? Does the source of the testimony have
relevant experience or knowledge? Is the reputation of the source suspect? Is the source free
from apparent bias? Are the source’s conclusions contrary to what we know to be true? Are the
sources’ conclusions confirmed by other experts in the field? Does the testimony reflect
contemporary thought on the issue under discussion? In regards to the second part of the
question, Secretary of State Powell seems to meet most of the requirements for reliability.
However, the source’s conclusions might be contrary to what we know to be true. Also, since the weapons were not found to exist then the conclusions were not confirmed by other experts in the
field. The testimony also might not have reflected contemporary thought on the issue.
Importantly, one might note that Powell was presenting information of others and the primary
sources merit scrutiny.
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