{"podcast":{"title":"Consequential Actions Podcast","slug":"consequential-actions-podcast-7101158","podcast_index_feed_id":7101158,"rss_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/465374/s/4746.rss","website_url":"https://jeffkellick.substack.com/s/consequential-actions-podcast","image_url":"https://substackcdn.com/feed/podcast/465374/s/4746/89d62bf29b5f4bd7e0065e8d1dd33837.jpg","author":"Jeff Kellick","episode_count":80,"summary":"A discussion on the decisions that impact security, technology, and the economy.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-14T00:17:15.155544+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158"},"episode":{"title":"Charlie Wilson's Blowback—Afghanistan and the Creation of al-Qaeda","slug":"charlie-wilson-s-blowback-afghanistan-and-the-creation-of-al-qaeda","published_at":"2026-03-27T10:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158/charlie-wilson-s-blowback-afghanistan-and-the-creation-of-al-qaeda","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158","url":"https://jeffkellick.substack.com/p/charlie-wilsons-blowbackafghanistan","audio_url":"https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/192268058/37d2fffa1712475ad726bfca86c5bceb.mp3","summary":"This episode traces the direct line from American covert action in Afghanistan to the September 11 attacks—the paradigm case of blowback. We examine the largest CIA operation since Vietnam: how Charlie Wilson and Gust Avrakotos built a billion-dollar program to arm the mujahideen, how Pakistan directed aid to extremists, how the Arab Afghans including Osama bin Laden built networks that would become al-Qaeda, how American abandonment created the vacuum that the Taliban filled, and how the sanctuary they provided enabled the attacks that transformed American society. 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","meta_description":"This episode traces the direct line from American covert action in Afghanistan to the September 11 attacks—the paradigm case of blowback. We examine the l…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2456,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158/episodes/charlie-wilson-s-blowback-afghanistan-and-the-creation-of-al-qaeda/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/consequential-actions-podcast-7101158/charlie-wilson-s-blowback-afghanistan-and-the-creation-of-al-qaeda.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}