The Afghanistan Papers: Why the War Was a Failure (With Craig Whitlock)

About this episode:

Unlike the wars in Vietnam and Iraq, the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 had near-unanimous public support. At first, the goals were straightforward: defeat al-Qaeda and prevent a repeat of 9/11. Yet soon after the United States and its allies removed the Taliban from power, the mission veered off course.

Distracted by the war in Iraq, the US military became mired in an unwinnable guerrilla conflict. The Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations sent more and more troops to Afghanistan and repeatedly said they were making progress.

The Afghanistan Papers contains startling revelation after revelation from people who played a direct role in the war, from leaders in the White House and the Pentagon to soldiers and aid workers on the front lines.

Craig Whitlock is an investigative reporter for The Washington Post.