196. How America Talks Itself Into Endless Wars
6 July 2026
107. General David Petraeus: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the US military’s role in the world
-
Podcast
-
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.
TRIP Plus:
Become a member of The Rest Is Politics Plus to support the podcast, receive our exclusive newsletter, enjoy ad-free listening to both TRIP and Leading, benefit from discount book prices on titles mentioned on the pod, join our Discord chatroom, and receive early access to live show tickets and Question Time episodes.
Just head to therestispolitics.com to sign up, or start a free trial today on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/therestispolitics.
Instagram:
Twitter:
Email:
Assistant Producer: India Dunkley
Social Producer: Jess Kidson
Producer: Nicole Maslen
Senior Producer: Dom Johnson
Head of Content: Tom Whiter
Exec Producers: Tony Pastor + Jack Davenport
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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.