Danny Sjursen talks about the ways his experience in Iraq convinced him of the futility of that war, allowing him to see things that the generals and the war planners often could not. Sjursen says that not all officers paid attention to the local situation or to the people their units were supposed to be working with. Failure to do so led to far greater casualties, among both American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Sadly the generals and politicians still seem unable or unwilling to learn the lessons of the past, and thus will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

Discussed on the show:

• “What Was It All for For: Vets Have Finally Turned on America’s Endless Wars” (Antiwar.com Original)
• Collateral Murder
• The Good Soldiers
• “Bush’s Meeting With A Murderer” (The Scott Horton Show)

Danny Sjursen is a retired U.S. army major and former history instructor at West Point. He writes regularly for TomDispatch.com and he’s the author of “Ghost Riders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge.” Follow him on Twitter @SkepticalVet.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Washinton Babylon; Liberty Under Attack Publications; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.

Donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin: 1KGye7S3pk7XXJT6TzrbFephGDbdhYznTa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCVywUOotJI

Podcast: Play in new window | Download