A study by two nonprofit journalism organizations found that US President George W. Bush and top administration officials issued hundreds of false statements about the national security threat from Iraq in the two years following the 2001 terrorist attacks.

The study concluded that the statements "were part of an orchestrated campaign that effectively galvanized public opinion and, in the process, led the nation to war under decidedly false pretenses."

The study was posted on Tuesday on the website of the Center for Public Integrity, which worked with the Fund for Independence in Journalism.