The Lessons of 9/11 & the Global War on Terror (w/ Peter Bergen, who Interviewed Bin Laden)

In 1997, Peter Bergen found himself in the mountains of Afghanistan, face-to-face with al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. During the ensuing landmark interview, bin Laden foreshadowed the terrorist attacks of September 11.

In Part One of our two-part series commemorating the 25th anniversary of 9/11, journalist and author Peter Bergen sits down with former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove and co-host John Raine to discuss the legacy of the 9/11 attacks, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Bergen talks about why negotiating with Osama bin Laden would have been a nonstarter and why the attacks bin Laden orchestrated generated shock, not surprise, within government intelligence agencies. Bergen and the hosts also discuss decisions after the attacks that Dearlove witnessesed firsthand, the proper relationship between intelligence and policy, how the war on terror reshaped the US view of coalitions and allies, and how the conflict in Ukraine points to the future of warfare.

In this episode:

(00:00) Lessons of Afghanistan and Iraq Wars

(03:23) Would Negotiating with Osama bin Laden Have Worked?

(06:21) Feeling in US Immediately Post-9/11

(11:29) Origins of Iraq War

(15:55) Policy and Intelligence

(17:08) Imperial Power of the Presidency

(21:16) Why Were There No Major Attacks After 9/11? 

(25:13) Role of Coalitions and Allies

(34:31) Legacy of Fighting Global War on Terror