On the July 24 edition of his CNN Headline News program, host Glenn Beck declared that "[w]e went into Iraq three years ago to prevent World War III ... to prevent the evil Iranian ideology from spreading across the region." Earlier, he said “the real reason we went into Iraq was Iran.” Describing “the reason the administration gave us” -- that Saddam Hussein possessed a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) -- as “real” but “just gravy,” Beck stated that “President Bush decided to not tell us the real objective” because “we just wouldn't understand that we were in the early stages of World War III.”

As Media Matters for America has noted, Beck has frequently labeled the conflict in the Middle East “World War III.” Later in the program, Beck said: “I truly believe these mullahs are far worse than Hitler. I mean, Hitler was crazy evil. I believe these guys are biblically evil.”

From the July 24 edition of CNN Headline News' Glenn Beck:

BECK: Do you remember when -- here we go, something you're not going to hear elsewhere, at least from a conservative -- remember when we first went in to Iraq a few years ago? And we said it was because of weapons of mass destruction. Well, I got news for you: It wasn't. That was just gravy. That was the reason the administration gave us, and it was real. But they gave us this explanation so the public could wrap their heads around going to war.

My radio listeners know this, because I've been beating this drum since before we even went into Iraq. The real reason we went into Iraq was Iran. We were going there to stop Iran by planting the seeds of democracy all around Iran. Then, we hoped, that the Iranians would stand up and topple their leaders and their evil plans. The people in Iran hate him so much, they actually prefer us.

At the time, President Bush decided to not tell us the real objective. I'm guessing -- I don't know why -- either for geopolitical reasons, or because he felt, you know, we just wouldn't understand that we were in the early stages of World War III. And unfortunately, I think a lot of people are still there. But search yourself inside. Doesn't it feel like we're there?

[...]

BECK: I was talking to my -- I was talking to my sister over the weekend, yesterday. My nephew, her son, Bo, is leaving for a tour of duty in Iraq in two weeks. She told me, she said, “I support him. I support what he's doing. I'm so proud of him.” She said, “But Glenn, I don't understand why we're even in Iraq.”

I asked her, “Do you believe we're in World War III or on the verge of World War III?”

She said, “Yeah.” She said, “In fact, I've been talking to my friends about it, and we all just -- when I asked people, they automatically say, 'Oh, yeah. I know.' They all agreed that we're at the beginning of World War III.”

We went into Iraq three years ago to prevent World War III, as nuts as this might sound, to prevent the evil Iranian ideology from spreading across the region. We have to succeed there. The lives of our family will be seriously affected. You will not recognize the world if we lose.

Here's what I do know today. I know that searching for weapons of mass destruction was a side benefit of going into Iraq. The real reason was to plant the seeds of democracy and change the face of the Middle East.

[...]

BECK: I just want to tell you that I truly believe these mullahs are far worse than Hitler. I mean, Hitler was crazy evil. I believe these guys are biblically evil.

And don't miss tomorrow's program. We have a series starting tomorrow on the coming of the messiah. We'll do that tomorrow.