Gregory Johnsen

It has now been 20 years since September 11th, 2001. So we’re bringing you a Peabody Award-winning story from our archives about one sentence, written in the hours after the attacks, that has led to the longest war in U.S. history. We examine how just 60 words of legal language have blurred the line between war and peace. In the hours after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a lawyer sat down in front of a computer and started writing a legal justification for taking action against those responsible. The language that he drafted and that President George W. Bush signed into law - called the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) -  has at its heart one single sentence, 60 words long. Over the last decade, those 60 words have become the legal foundation for the "war on terror." In this collaboration with BuzzFeed, reporter Gregory Johnsen tells us the story of how this has come to be one of the most important, confusing, troubling sentences of the last two decades. We go into the meetings that took place in the chaotic days just after 9/11, speak with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Congressman Ron Dellums about the vote on the AUMF. We hear from former White House and State Department lawyers John Bellinger & Harold Koh. We learn how this legal language unleashed Guantanamo, Navy Seal raids and drone strikes. And we speak with journalist Daniel Klaidman, legal expert Benjamin Wittes and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine about how these words came to be interpreted, and what they mean for the future of war and peace. Finally, we check back in with Congresswoman Lee, and talk to Yale law professor and national security expert Oona Hathaway, about how to move on from the original sixty words. Original episode produced by Matt Kielty and Kelsey Padgett with original music by Dylan Keefe. Update reported and produced by Sarah Qari and Soren Wheeler. Special thanks to Brian Finucane. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate. 

Gregory Johnsen, an expert on Yemen and the Houthi movement, joins Scott R. Anderson to discuss the recent surge in Houthi attacks on shipping and military forces in the Red Sea. They delve into the U.S. and U.K. military responses and the legal complexities surrounding these actions, including the War Powers Resolution. The conversation highlights the implications of these attacks on global trade, the Houthis' strategic gains amidst conflict, and the persistent challenges of engaging with non-state actors in the region.

Gregory Johnsen, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute and a leading Yemen expert, discusses the U.S. bombing campaign in Yemen and its implications. He argues that the Houthis welcome conflict with America and Israel, seeking to leverage this for domestic support. The conversation delves into the complexities of U.S. military strategies, the challenges of foreign intervention, and the Houthi's strategic calculations amidst ongoing power struggles.

Gregory Johnsen, writer-at-large for Buzzfeed News and doctoral candidate at Princeton University, discusses the current state of play in Yemen, clarifying that the war shouldn't be viewed as just another Sunni-Shia fight. He outlines the events that led to the Saudi intervention and whether Yemen can ever be put back together again. The podcast also delves into the conflicts between various groups, the extensive airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, and the rise of ISIS and religious radicalization in Yemen.

Host Benjamin Wittes is joined by Gregory Johnsen, former member of the UN Security Council Panel of Experts on Yemen, and Daniel Byman, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Middle East Policy, to discuss the origins and current state of the war in Yemen. The speakers explore the role of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the US in the conflict, as well as the devastating humanitarian crisis and food insecurity in Yemen. They also address the challenges of finding a resolution and the US's culpability in the war.