Before the Second Gulf War, many in the U. S. government believed that Iraq possessed significant stores of weapons of mass destruction. In part, this belief was supported by CIA intelligence reports that later turned out to be wrong. Some have blamed the intense need for group cohesion and loyalty for driving out anyone who disagreed with the analysis. What is this called?

Groupthink

Explanation:

The situation shown in the above question can be called groupthink. In short, groupthink happens when groups seek extreme consensus at the cost of effective decision making. They are more concerned with maintaining group unity than with making the best decision. In such cases, independent thinking of group members is frowned upon and alternative suggestions are replaced in an attempt to gain agreement. An example of this was the belief backed by CIA intelligence reports that Iraq had significant reserves of weapons of mass destruction, which later turned out to be wrong.