The Forever War. It may be gone from Afghanistan but it’s not gone from our hearts. Our minds. Our souls. The body politic is riddled with the consequences of the last twenty years of conflict. The Department of Homeland Security is my go to. The first half of my life it didn’t exist. Now I am faced with the consequences of its disastrous policies on a daily basis.With us today is Spencer Ackerman. Ackerman is a journalist and war correspondent who has spent his entire career reporting one the Forever War. His new book is Reign of Terror: How the 9/11 Era Destabilized America and Produced Trump. It’s an excellent book. It has the feel of a journalist stopping midway through a career turning behind them and asking “What the fuck just happened?”Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

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How 9/11 Led to a 'Reign of Terror'

The idea of terrorism as a franchise isn’t new, maybe, but nobody’s done it better than Islamic State. Most Americans thought the fight against ISIS was over with the fall of Raqqa. But on August 26, at least 169 Afghans and 13 US troops were killed in Kabul by a group calling itself ISIS-K. Islamic State, apparently, lives on.Joby Warrick of the Washington Post joins us to talk about ISIS - how it started and what it is now. Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

ISIS-K Is Coming For the Taliban

North Korea is back in the headlines, and as usual, it’s not because they’ve invented a new soft drink. No, Kim Jong Un’s fiefdom has once again launched missiles into the sea, claims to have invented hypersonic ones, is building up their capability to launch nuclear-tipped missiles from submarines and is restarting everyone’s favorite nuclear reactor at Yong Byon.So, why are we here again, and what does it mean?Well, Jean Lee rejoins the show to help us understand what’s going on and what we can expect next.In a first for America, Jean opened the Associated Press’ bureau in Pyongyang in 2012. She’s now a North Korea expert at the Wilson Center and is co-host of the Lazarus Heist, a podcast from the BBC.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Is North Korea a Hypersonic Threat?

Instagram is a world of influencers, models, bizarre ads and aspirational living. It’s a place where artists share their work and people go to see and be seen. It’s also the epicenter of gang violence in America and, increasingly, an important resource for law enforcement looking to solve murders and disrupt street violence. Read the charging documents or warrants of a gang-violence related case and you’ll be confronted by a wealth of Instagram posts.Why?With us today is Danny Gold. Gold—a returning guest—is a writer and producer who focuses on crime and conflict. He’s also a reluctant podcaster who co-hosts the excellent Underworld Podcast.The Underworld Podcast.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why Criminals Post Evidence on Instagram

A special production of Angry Planet and David Axe explores how a group of scruffy contractors pioneered the use of drones during the Vietnam War.Axe’s book, Drone War Vietnam, is out now. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UNLOCKED: The Drones of the Vietnam War

The facts on the ground are undeniable. The U.S. is out, the Taliban is back in.The end was ugly and there were plenty of ugly spots along the way.Since we’re all doing what ifs, here’s ours: what would the off-ramp have looked like, and did we ever at least have our turn signal on?Joining us today is a guy who was in the room. Former diplomat Frank Ruggiero dealt directly with the Taliban, as well as managing U.S relations with Afghanistan and Pakistan between 2010 and 2012. Hillary Clinton gave him the State Department’s distinguished honor award.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

America's Liaison to the Taliban on What Went Wrong

Space… Is it still the final frontier? And does anyone really care about it anymore, aside from a few billionaires and maybe a millionaire or two?Does NASA have any mojo left? And are any of us alive now going to see a landing on Mars?These are all questions dear to my heart, so we have Christian Davenport who covers space for the Washington Post and is the author of the Space Barons on the show today. Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Space: Final Frontier or Billionaire's Playground?

Afghanistan. If you’re listening to this show you’ve probably been following the news. Despite what the Pentagon or White House will tell you, the evacuation isn’t going great. There is a dichotomy between what officials tell us and what’s actually happening that—in the age of mass communication—seems … insulting.That dichotomy and how it affected America’s view of Afghanistan is at the heart of the new book—The Afghanistan Papers. Craig Whitlock, its author, is here with us today. Whitlock is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post who has covered America’s War on Terror since the beginning.Recorded August 25, the day before the attacks.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A Brief History of Lying About Afghanistan

Conquerors and nations have been trying to rebuild Afghanistan in their own image for thousands of years. The U.S. is just the latest to fail.The Soviet Union also failed, with a little push from the United States. But they learned their lesson in only 10 years, from 1979-1989.Mark Galeotti joins us today to talk about the lessons the U.S. probably should have learned from the USSR. He’s Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and has literally written the book - no three books! - on this very subject. We’ll put links in the show notes.Storm-333: KGB and Spetsnaz seize Kabul, Soviet-Afghan War 1979The Panjshir Valley 1980–86Afghanistan: The Soviet Union's Last War  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When the Soviets Fled Afghanistan

America is leaving Afghanistan. President Joe Biden has set a September 11th withdrawal date and things are continuing apace. As America packs up its gear and goes home it’s leaving behind something far more valuable than MRAPs and M16s—people.For two decades individual Afghans have stepped up to help the United States and as it leaves the battlefield, some of these interpreters are being left behind.With us today is former Marine Sergeant, Afghanistan War veteran, and Purple Heart recipient Michael Wendt. He’s an advocate for interpreters and recently published an op-ed in The Hill titled “Getting Afghan interpreters out of Afghanistan isn't progressive: It's the right thing to do.”  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

UNLOCKED: America's Moral Duty to Afghan Interpreters

Are we living in a declining empire in need of renewal? Maybe.But one thing to keep in mind? Romans thought the same thing centuries before the great empire fell.So what’s up with the fascination with the decline and fall of Rome? And what lessons does it have for US politics?To help us answer that question, we’ve got Edward J. Watts. He’s a professor of history at UC San Diego and the author of a new book, The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rome Was Always in Decline

Life in Haiti has rarely been easy. It’s the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Corruption is rampant. And it’s been invaded more than once since independence, including by the United States.It’s little wonder that the half-Island nation has suffered repression and political turmoilAnd, on July 7, it’s president, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated.To help us understand the current situation -- and a bit of the history as well -- I’m joined by Francois Pierre-Louis of Queens College in New York.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the Assassination of Haiti's President

When I was a kid I learned about the Alamo. It’s 1836. Houston said to Travis, fortify the Alamo. Volunteers came from across the continent to fight and die for the dream of a free and independent Texas. Like the Ballad said, One hundred and eighty five holding back five thousand.In the southern part of Texas, near the town of San Antone, like a statue on his pinto rides a cowboy all alone. And he sees the cattle grazing where a century before Santa Anna’s guns were blazing and the cannons used to roar. And his eyes turn sorta misty and his heart begins to glow and he takes his hat off slowly. To the men of the Alamo. To the thirteen days of glory at the siege of Alamo.What a load of bullshit.The Alamo and its effect on Texas, the country, and Phil Collins, is the subject of the new book Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of An American Myth. Two of its three authors are here with me today, Bryan Burrough and Chris Tomlinson. They’re both writers and they’re both from Texas, so you can be sure that what you’re about to hear is the gospel truth.Angry Planet has a substack! Join the Information War to get weekly insights into our angry planet and hear more conversations about a world in conflict.https://angryplanet.substack.com/subscribeYou can listen to Angry Planet on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play or follow our RSS directly. Our website is angryplanetpod.com. You can reach us on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/angryplanetpodcast/; and on Twitter: @angryplanetpod.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Lies, Damn Lies, and the Alamo

Afghanistan, the site of America’s longest war, is changing. The Taliban is gaining ground in the North while peace talks stall. The U.S. continues its withdrawal and the Afghan military is left to pick up the pieces.Here to help us understand what’s going on is Ali M. Latifi.Latifi is an Afghan journalist living in Kabul. His work has appeared in Al Jazeera, Business Insider, and NBC News.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The View From Kabul

It doesn’t take high technology to kill someone. Simple chemicals propel pieces of lead out of steel tubes. Other simple chemicals are placed in larger vessels and are triggered by the weight of a vehicle or even a human body. Some are even set off by strings attached to fuses. Not one computer involved.But the weapons of warfare do evolve - some into trillion dollar monsters that gobble up whole defense budgets and can destroy life on earth with the turn of a key. And new weapons are always on the horizon.Today, we’ve brought on Patrick Tucker to talk about some recent developments and what may lie ahead. Patrick is the technology editor at Defense One and writes about weapons technology every day.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can the US Win the Wars of the Future?

A weekly look at the weapons systems and tactics that both endanger the world and keep it safe.

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War College

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