Intelligence Squared

For more than 40 years, world-renowned foreign correspondent Jon Lee Anderson has been reporting on wars, crises and revolutions, from Latin America to the Middle East and Africa.  Throughout his career he has made countless visits to Afghanistan, bearing witness to the Soviet invasion and the subsequent US interventions from 9/11 to the present day. His new book, To Lose A War, contains his reporting on the 20-year US military presence in Afghanistan, its disastrous and chaotic end and the return of the Taliban.  In this episode he sits down with foreign correspondent Hannah Lucinda Smith to discuss how the US mission lost its way, the resourcefulness and resilience of Afghanistan’s people and his hopes and fears for the country’s future under a resurgent Taliban. To Lose A War: The Fall and Rise of the Taliban by Jon Lee Anderson is available now. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/member