I think there is a difference between how wars are "sold" to voters and why nations actually go to war.

Yes, good point. But let's not overestimate leaders' deep strategic thinking or rationality; they can be mislead and emotional too.

Let's also not pretend that Iraq was about WMDs rather than empire. They knew it was a lie.

WMDs would also be about threat to empire.

The US War in Iraq was not due to misinformation. Misinformation may have sold it to the public, but to give the people responsible for that war a pass, as if they were just mislead, is .. well it's just covering for their actions.

Yes, agreed. Part of my point is that, public or private, it was not driven by facts.