Over the past quarter-century, U.S. military involvement in the Middle East has been marked by a series of strategic missteps and costly failures, despite occasional tactical successes, according to a detailed new account by journalist Peter Bergen. His book traces the trajectory of America’s engagement in the region from the run-up to the September 11 attacks through the rise of ISIS and the Taliban’s recent return to power, highlighting both achievements and critical errors by successive administrations.
Bergen draws on extensive research and interviews with more than 500 officials to portray a U.S. military and political leadership often characterized by poor judgment, internal rivalries, and flawed decision-making. While acknowledging progress such as the effective use of armed drones to target key terrorist figures remotely and the implementation of improved counterinsurgency tactics in Iraq, the overall picture reflects prolonged conflict at enormous human and financial cost. More than 7,000 American service members and hundreds of thousands of civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan have died in wars that ultimately failed to achieve lasting stability.
The narrative begins with missed intelligence warnings prior to 9/11 and covers the subsequent ousting of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the controversial 2003 invasion of Iraq. Bergen offers a particularly critical assessment of President George W. Bush’s administration, which he alleges sought tenuous justifications for the Iraq war and struggled unsuccessfully to manage its fallout. Similarly, the book scrutinizes the Trump presidency for abandoning a cadre of seasoned military advisers, relying instead on instinct and optics over coherent strategy. One notable episode recounts First Lady Melania Trump’s suggestion to highlight the role of a military dog during the 2019 operation that killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, underlining the administration’s focus on public image.
Bergen is especially critical of Trump’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. In pursuit of a pre-election withdrawal announcement, Trump’s administration negotiated a deal with the Taliban that excluded the Afghan government, effectively conceding the outcome and accelerating the collapse of the democratically elected regime. While assigning primary blame to Trump, Bergen also faulted President Joe Biden for not reversing the withdrawal timeline, a decision that transformed a problematic retreat into a disorderly and widely condemned exit. The perceived weakness of U.S. policy during this period, Bergen argues, may have contributed to emboldening Russia’s invasion of Ukraine the following year.
The book treats the Obama administration with somewhat less severity, noting the expansion of drone strikes under President Obama, which, while tactically effective, resulted in significant civilian casualties and fueled anti-American sentiment across the region. Obama himself is quoted as acknowledging his unexpected proficiency in lethal drone operations.
Bergen’s final chapters, written in early 2024 shortly after Donald Trump initiated air strikes against Iran, depict yet another ill-conceived military intervention lacking strategic foresight. Despite drone warfare’s proven role in countering Russia in Ukraine, Trump’s approach failed to appreciate Iran’s capability in this domain, leaving U.S. forces vulnerable. Bergen’s overarching critique is the recurring failure of American policymakers to plan beyond initial military actions, a pattern that seems set to repeat in the conflict with Iran.
This comprehensive chronicle underscores the enduring complexity and pitfalls of U.S. engagements in the Middle East, providing a sobering reflection on two decades of war, diplomacy, and unintended consequences.