Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews 8/22/25 William Van Wagenen on the CIA’s Covert War to Remake the Middle East
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Aug 26, 2025 William Van Wagenen, a research fellow at the Libertarian Institute and author of 'Creative Chaos,' delves into the CIA's covert operations in the Middle East. He discusses his motivation for exploring the Syrian conflict, challenging mainstream narratives about U.S. influence. The conversation reveals how U.S. intelligence has interacted with radical groups, fueling violence in Iraq and Syria. Van Wagenen also examines the geopolitical stakes surrounding ethnic tensions, particularly among Kurdish factions and Yazidi communities, shedding light on the complex web of manipulation in the region.
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Foreign Powers Shaped Syria's Conflict
- William Van Wagenen says initial Western narratives about Syria masked foreign intervention and proxy warfare.
- He concluded US, UK, Israel, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi intelligence backed extremist militias in Syria to topple Assad.
Regime-Change Plans Preceded Arab Spring
- Van Wagenen traces regime-change planning back to neoconservatives in Bush administration and Israeli strategic aims.
- He links the Yanan plan and Wesley Clark's seven-country remark to long-term designs against Syria.
Historical Precedent For Using Islamist Proxies
- Van Wagenen emphasizes a long precedent of Western intelligence using Islamist fighters as proxies from Afghanistan to Kosovo.
- He argues such precedents make US support for jihadi proxies in Syria plausible, despite seeming paradoxical.
