Skullduggery

In May of 2003, then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, flew to Kabul to declare that combat operations were indeed over in Afghanistan. "The country is now secure." This was quite the misleading statement as our guest Craig Whitlock explains. Just one example of numerous half-truths told over four administration about the US' now longest war. On this day, the last flight out of Afghanistan carrying American troops has left, ending the endless war. We'll take a deep dive as to how we got here with the aforementioned author the brand new book, THE AFGHANISTAN PAPERS: A Secret History of the War.

GUEST:

• Craig Whitlock (@CraigMWhitlock), Investigative reporter for The Washington Post Author

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The January 6th committee is in full swing. It has made sweeping requests for records and information as they work towards discovering what actually happened leading up to the insurrection on the US Capitol. Will the requests reveal Trump administration officials had a hand in the attack? And if so, what will become of them? Who will receive a subpoena and who will claim executive privilege? And how long will this whole process take? Mark Hosenball, investigative reporter for Reuters, talks about his latest article on the FBI's findings and Kim Wehle, Professor of Law, talks about what the consequences could or would be as it all plays out.

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The worst case scenario just got even worse. Today, ISIS-K struck the area outside the airport in Kabul twice. Two bombings, one a suicide attack. The events resulted in casualties for both Americans and Afghans, something President Biden said was inevitable in a situation like this. There's finger pointing from all sides, but in the end the deaths ring loud and true. The first loss of American life in Afghanistan since February of 2020. Biden condemned today's attack by responding, "We will hunt you down and make you pay" Does this mean that the endless war won't be coming to and end after all?August 31st is just days away and intelligence tells us that there are more potential attacks. General McMaster, Trump's National Security Advisor, and US Rep. Michael McCaul join to discuss.

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The clock is ticking ever closer to August 31st. That's the day that President Biden claims we'll have all US citizens out of Afghanistan. Something he doubled down on in his latest press conference on the matter. But what about all those Afghans that fought alongside the US over the last twenty years? Will the US help them escape the oppressive regime that is the Taliban? With only a week to go before the deadline, and too many people to evacuate, the mess has become a debacle. David Sedney, former President of the American University of Afghanistan weighs in on the struggle to get not only the Americans out, but those Afghans who have spent the last twenty years building a new life only to have it seized away in less than twenty days.

GUEST:

• David Sedney (@david_sed), Frm. President of American University of Afghanistan, Frm. US Diplomat & Frm. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense in Afghanistan

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As US Troops and Afghan refugees are being evacuated from Afghanistan, media outlets are reflecting on the twenty year war that was. But the truth is, it's actually been forty. It dates back to the time when President Jimmy Carter signed a secret finding authorizing the CIA to funnel lethal weapons to the Mujahideen warriors who were resisting the Soviets. This was the arming of Islamic rebels who later became the Taliban. Our guest Annie Pforzheimer, former US diplomat who served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Afghanistan, gives us a harsh reality check on the situation currently going on lead by the Biden administration.

GUEST:

• Annie Pforzheimer (@pforzheimera), Deputy Chief of Mission in Afghanistan '17-'18

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Kabul has fallen. It was the last city under control of the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani until he decided to flee before it was lost. And now we are left with the striking images of the Taliban inside the Presidential Palace he once occupied. Disturbing video, which now plays on a loop across the news media, shows desperate Afghanis clinging to a US military jet as it departs from Kabul. Shocking footage that has instantly become a stain on the Biden administration despite being something that three presidents before him wanted to do, remove our US troops. It seemed universally what everyone wanted, but apparently not how everyone thought it should have been done. Biden boldly defended himself and the move in a press conference while placing blame on others even after admitting that the Taliban takeover happened more quickly than expected. Where do we go from here as we rapidly approach the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. The optics are not good.

GUEST:

• Peter Bergen (@peterbergencnn), VP at New America, CNN National Security Analyst, Prof. Arizona State, author, documentary producer.

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Back in April, President Biden announced the full U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan by Sept. 11th. With said date now less than a month away, the news out of the region is that city after city is falling to Taliban forces. And now the U.S. is asking the Taliban to spare its embassy in the capital city of Kabul with the anticipation of an upcoming fight for its control. Quite the mess to say the least. Where do we go from here? Everyone agrees that this solution isn't the best, yet no one has a solution that satisfies all those involved. One thing we do know for sure is that more blood will be shed in the coming days, months, and potentially years in a place the U.S. has spent so much time, money, and loss of life in order to protect. This is quickly shaping up to be another Saigon.

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As the Delta variant of the coronavirus runs rampant across not only the US, but the world, new hot spots have emerged and hospitals are once again filling up to capacity. It appears we are right back where we started with things trending in the wrong direction. And with summer comes huge gatherings at places like concerts, vacation destinations, and weddings. The messaging on Covid seems to change daily and the public confusion grows as misinformation and disinformation spread just as fast and effectively as the virus itself. So where are we now? How do we change this downward trend? With the new school year on the horizon and the fight over masks taking place at the Federal, State, and Local levels, we check in with Doctor Leana Wen, former Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore, and author of the new book Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health.

GUESTS:

• Leana Wen (@DrLeanaWen), Fmr. Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore, and author of the new book Lifelines: A Doctor's Journey in the Fight for Public Health.

HOSTS:

• Michael Isikoff (@Isikoff), Chief Investigative Correspondent, Yahoo News

RESOURCES:

Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod

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When the Cuomo Report from the NY Attorney General's office was released, it revealed that eleven women - more than previously reported, had come forward with charges of sexual harassment against the current NY State Governor. The details were both graphic in nature and painted the picture of a hostile work environment. Now everyone, including President Biden is calling for his resignation. Karen Hinton, Former Press Secretary for Andrew Cuomo while he was in the cabinet for then sitting President Bill Clinton, joins the podcast to talk about her own experience with Cuomo and how the harassment and intimidation goes back more than 20 years.

GUESTS:

• Karen Hinton, (@KarenHinton), Frm. Press Secretary for Andrew Cuomo

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Follow us on Twitter: @SkullduggeryPod

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The first of what will most likely be many hearings to uncover the truth about the January 6th insurrection on the US Capitol has taken place. It was a sobering approach by the select committee. Something we haven't seen at a hearing in quite some time. The result, an emotional and electrifying set of testimonies from those who were on the front lines of the riot that day. From Capitol Police Sgt. Aquilino Gonell's quote, "This is how I'm going to die," to Officer Michael Fanone of the Metropolitan Police Department stating, "the indifference shown to his colleagues by Republicans even after officers risked their lives to keep those same lawmakers safe that day, Disgraceful," then slamming the table. In addition, previously unseen body camera and CCTV footage revealed just how real and raw the attack was. Bill Kristol, neoconservative political analyst who has served in both the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations, joins to discuss the reaction of Republicans to the hearing and what's in store for the future of the party.

GUESTS:

• Bill Kristol, (@BillKristol), Director, http://defendingdemocracytogether.org. Editor at large, http://thebulwark.com. Host, http://conversationswithbillkristol.org. Fellow, @HarvardIOP

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