6/16: The Takeout: Steve Coll

Renowned author and investigative journalist Steve Coll appeared on the CBS News program 'The Takeout' on June 16 to analyze the historical evolution of the United States' relationship with former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein. During the broadcast in Washington, D.C., Coll detailed how specific geopolitical shifts in late 1979 provided the foundational context for subsequent global crises, including the September 11 terrorist attacks and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. The discussion aimed to provide a deeper historical framework for understanding the long-term consequences of American foreign policy decisions in the Middle East over the past four decades. Substantial attention was given to the pivotal year of 1979, which Coll identifies as a transformative era for regional stability. During this period, the Iranian Revolution, the siege of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan occurred almost simultaneously. These events forced the U.S. government into a pragmatic but ultimately volatile partnership with Saddam Hussein's Ba'athist regime. Coll explained that the United States viewed Hussein as a secular bulwark against the spread of revolutionary Shi'ism from Iran, leading to a decade of support that would later complicate Western efforts to contain his ambitions. Coll further explored how the radicalization of the region during the late 1970s created the vacuum that allowed extremist groups like Al-Qaeda to flourish. By tracing the lineage of these historical grievances, he argues that the Iraq War was not an isolated event but rather the climax of a deeply flawed diplomatic strategy. The interview emphasizes that the complexities of the current Middle Eastern landscape are direct repercussions of the intelligence failures and short-term alliances formed during the Cold War era. Through his research, Coll provides a critical perspective on how historical oversights continue to influence contemporary international security.