10/21/2026 with Peter Bergen: What Have America’s Forever Wars Accomplished?

Published October 19, 2026 at 6:00 PM MDT

Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, what has America accomplished in its war on terror? And what lessons have we learned from more than two decades of costly military interventions in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere?

In a conversation about his latest book, All the Presidents' Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America's War on Terror, author and CNN national security analyst Peter Bergen offers an unvarnished assessment of the blunders and miscalculations made by presidents of both parties.

Bergen details the missed opportunities and strategic miscalculations that prolonged America's wars, the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the continuing threats posed by al-Qaeda and ISIS. With the United States now engaged in another war in the Middle East, Bergen expresses deep concern that America may find itself entrapped in yet another forever war.

The conversation concludes with Bergen outlining a checklist of questions presidents should consider before committing the nation to military conflict. Perhaps most importantly: What happens the day after?

Host: Jim Falk

Guest: Peter Bergen, CNN National Security Analyst; author, All the Presidents’ Wars: Twenty-Five Years of America’s War on Terror