Will AI End Humanity?
15 January 2026
107. General David Petraeus: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the US military’s role in the world
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Podcast
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11 November 2024
Was the surge in Iraq a success for the United States? How critical are alliances to maintaining global stability? How can leaders maintain resilience and integrity in the face of public scrutiny?
Rory and Alastair are joined by General David Petraeus, ex-CIA Director and United States Army general during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to answer all these questions and more.
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Surprised that Rory and Alastair were surprised by US lack of planning. It’s always been the case that they want to do something ‘straight away’ and then worry about what comes after. Read Alan Brooke’s diary. The American military wanted to gets boots into mainland Europe as soon as possible after they joined the war. They had no idea about what they were going to do after landing and no conception that the Axis forces might react to them.