Episode

Charlie Wilson's Warning—From the Mujahideen to the Kurds to the Failed State

Podcast
Consequential Actions Podcast
Published
Mar 30, 2026
Duration seconds
2661
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://jeffkellick.substack.com/p/charlie-wilsons-warningfrom-the-mujahideen
Audio
https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192593582/93843cadf0d04bde7d6e5a6116ee963d.mp3
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158/episodes/charlie-wilson-s-warning-from-the-mujahideen-to-the-kurds-to-the-failed-state
Markdown
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Summary

This contemporary application episode connects the Afghan operation of the 1980s to the Iran war of 2026. The same patterns are emerging: arming fragmented proxy groups with competing agendas, the “enemy of my enemy” alliances with forces we do not control, and the absence of any plan for the day after regime collapse. Charlie Wilson’s warning echoes across four decades as analysts, members of Congress, and even the proxy forces themselves ask the question the administration cannot answer: What happens next? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jeffkellick.substack.com