SCOTT HORTON : 25 Years Since 9/11: Forever Wars and Blowback Persist
1h 15m | Sep 11, 2026Twenty five years after 9/11, the hardest question isn’t “what happened” but “what did we do with it.” We sit down with Scott Horton to follow the consequences that rarely make the highlight reel: how the War on Terror expanded, how the Iraq War got sold to the public, and why so many policymakers still can’t (or won’t) explain who won, who lost, and what it all changed.
We talk blowback in plain terms, including the way U.S. basing, interventions, and alliances shape motives for retaliation over time. Scott lays out the split between al-Qaeda and the Taliban, the decisions around Tora Bora, and the propaganda fog that helped merge unrelated enemies into one convenient villain. From there we track how Iraq empowered Iran, radicalized a new generation, and fed the later chaos in Syria, including the uneasy reality of jihadist groups rebranding as “political” actors.
We also confront the part people tiptoe around: how American support for Israel is cited again and again in extremist messaging and in the stated motives behind multiple attacks, including the Bourbon Street vehicle-ramming attack. None of this excuses violence; it’s about understanding cause and effect so we stop making the same security mistakes while pretending they’re surprises.
If you want a serious, detailed conversation about 9/11, the War on Terror, U.S. foreign policy, Iraq, Gaza, Iran, the Houthis, and why “each intervention necessitates the next one,” hit play. Subscribe, share this with someone who still has questions, and leave a review with the biggest lesson you think the country missed.
Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Twenty Five Years After 9/11
- 3:03 Why No One Learned The Details
- 8:16 Conflating Al Qaeda With Taliban
- 12:35 Iraq War Lies And Public Division
- 20:10 The Long Trail Of Blowback
- 28:01 Iraq Empowered Iran And ISIS
- 37:21 Clean Break And Chalabi’s Play
- 43:40 Gaza And The Blank Check Problem
- 54:48 Bourbon Street And Modern Blowback
- 1:03:14 The Only Exit Is To Quit
- 1:05:35 Jolani In A Suit In Syria
- 1:10:22 Houthis, Iran, And Failing Bases
- 1:14:31 Final Thoughts And Sign Off
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