Mike Safo with Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst, Author and the Journalist who Interviewed Bin Laden

Joined today by CNN National Security Analyst, Journalist, documentarian, podcaster, and New York Times bestselling author Peter Bergen. Peter is on to talk about his outstanding new book, All the Presidents’ Wars: 25 Years of the American War on Terror.

Peter talks about the successes and failures of the War on Terror, the mistakes made by multiple presidents during that time, and why the United States has repeatedly struggled to plan for what comes after military intervention. We also chat about one of history’s biggest “what ifs”: What if Osama bin Laden had been captured or killed at Tora Bora in 2001?

Peter tells us about his famous 1997 interview with bin Laden in an Afghan cave and his experience becoming the only journalist inside bin Laden’s Abbottabad compound aftre he was killed by Seal Team 6. He also explains why he donated decades of his personal research materials to Georgetown University and we hear about the lessons of 25 years covering terrorism and global conflict..

Peter chats about his life outside journalism, his future travel plans, and whether his award-winning podcast could return.

This was a super cool convo with one of the OG voices in terrorism reporting, American foreign policy, Bin Laden and the ongoing War on Terror.

Follow Peter here: https://www.peterbergen.com/

His new book is: All the Presidents' Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror