No, you're not listening well. Bush took the claims to another level. He took it away from the intel, which ahd some reasons for concern, and went with intel that was doubted -- curveball, al Libi, and chalibi and his heros in error. This was deliberate, largely worked though Cheney's office.
As for his motive, a fellow who went by Missouri Mule linked an article from the Straffor group, a conservative think tank. It criticised Bush for telling the wrong lie, one so easily shown to be a lie. They maintain the reason for the invasion was so we could have a base there, close to Iran, but not in SA. Combined with Afghanistan, we would have them surrounded. I tend to accept that. But, that doesn't change that it was a lie.