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The New York Times says the Iran war was supposed to show off American power and has done the opposite. B-1 bombers are pulled out of Britain, bases across the Gulf are closed, and carriers are being resupplied from 2,200 miles away. Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland, who served in Iraq, breaks down why seven months of war have left Iran's regime replaced but not weakened, and what he thinks winning should actually look like.
Mike's take: decades of U.S. bases and troops in the Middle East haven't made the region more stable. Look at Iraq and Afghanistan. Reaching the stated goals in Iran would take a World War II-style invasion and occupation. His answer is to bring every U.S. troop home, close the bases, and force Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt and the rest of the region to deal with Iran themselves. He also asks the question few pundits raise: if Iran is that determined to get a nuclear weapon, why haven't Russia or China handed it one?
Also in this episode: the FBI stops a planned attack on the Mall of America, a Colorado police sergeant on how traffickers target vulnerable kids, and a tropical storm heading for the Gulf Coast.
Do you agree with Mike, or should the U.S. stay? If you say stay, tell us what winning looks like to you. Comment below. Mike reads them.
Timestamps
0:00 U.S. forces pull back as Iran's oil keeps flowing
0:25 Seven months in: is it working?
1:15 Iran's leaders taken out, but the regime didn't change
1:45 B-1 bombers pulled from Britain
2:20 What does winning look like?
2:30 Decades of U.S. bases in the Middle East
3:20 Iraq, WMDs and what Mike saw on the ground
3:45 Who a nuclear Iran really threatens
4:45 Afghanistan and Iraq: better off?
6:00 Mike's answer: bring every troop home
7:30 Make the region step up
8:10 Why haven't Russia or China given Iran a nuke?
9:30 Are the lives lost worth it?
10:10 What real victory would take
11:45 FBI stops a Mall of America attack
13:55 How traffickers target kids
15:00 Tropical storm heads for the Gulf
15:25 Wrap-up
