Aftershock: The War on Terror

The podcast dives into the aftermath of 9/11, where intelligence failures prompted the birth of extensive surveillance under the NSA. Key discussions reveal how mass data collection blurred the lines between security and privacy. Notably, the tale of Khaled El-Masri highlights the dangers of unchecked data-driven decisions. Edward Snowden's revelations shed light on the motto to 'collect it all,' while insider voices question the growing surveillance industrial complex. The conversation raises concerns about political risks tied to the renewal of surveillance laws.

Join Laleh Khalili, an expert in Middle East politics and the global prison network, and Charles Swift, a former U.S. Navy JAG who defended detainees, as they delve into the dark legacy of detention practices post-9/11. They discuss the controversial legal frameworks that perpetuated indefinite detention, the infamous black sites, and the role of U.S. allies in enabling torture. Swift shares gripping firsthand accounts from military commissions and the challenges faced in pursuing justice for his client, Salim Hamdan, highlighting the complexities of law in wartime.

After 9/11, war planners portrayed Iraq as a quick fix, but chaos ensued instead. Neo-conservatives pushed for regime change, yet many doubted the feasibility. Early optimism faded as the occupation unraveled, leading to rampant looting and rising insurgency. Misguided policies, like de-Baathification, deepened ethnic divisions and fueled resistance, while the supposed handover of sovereignty proved superficial. The episode explores a parable illustrating how misguided intervention led to self-destructive regional consequences.

In the days after 9/11, George W. Bush declared a state of emergency and initiated what would become an unprecedented expansion of US power. Public debate narrowed: there were new limits on what was acceptable, and not acceptable, to say. The London Review of Books published a number of pieces that challenged this consensus, forcing its editor, Mary-Kay Wilmers, to defend the paper on national radio. More from the LRB The Belgrano Diary: https://lrb.me/belgranowotpod Subscribe to the LRB: ⁠⁠https://lrb.me/subswotpod Close Readings podcast: ⁠https://lrb.me/crwotpod LRB Audiobooks: ⁠https://lrb.me/audiobookswotpod Bags, binders and more at the LRB Store: ⁠https://lrb.me/storewotpod Get in touch: podcasts@lrb.co.uk Archive in this episode: Rutgers Law Review‘CNN Live’/CNN‘Good Morning America’/ABC‘Good Day New York’/FOX5 New York/FOX‘SmackDown’/USA Network/WWE‘Meet the Press’/NBC/NBC News Productions‘Broadcasting House’/BBC Radio 4/BBC

After 9/11, George W. Bush launched a global War on Terror. What followed was an unprecedented expansion of American power, from Guantánamo Bay to drone strikes, mass surveillance to the weaponisation of the financial system. Asked when it would end, Vice-President Dick Cheney replied: ‘Not in our lifetime.’ Two decades later, we’re still living in its shadow. Aftershock: The War on Terror is a new six-part podcast from the London Review of Books. Daniel Soar, a senior editor at the paper, revisits the magazine’s coverage and reflects on the ways 9/11 has changed the world we live in. First episode released on 20 November.