Lawfare Archive: The End of U.S. Ambition in the Middle East with Steven Cook

The Lawfare Podcast

The Lawfare Institute

Military, Intelligence, International Law, Constitutional Law, Rule Of Law, Politics, International Relations, News, Government, History, Diplomacy, Terrorism, National Security, Current Events, Law, Foreign Policy

4.7 • 6.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 August 2025

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

From July 31, 2024: For this episode, Lawfare General Counsel and Senior Editor Scott R. Anderson sat down with Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Steven Cook to discuss his new book, “The End of Ambition: America’s Past, Present, and Future in the Middle East.” Together, they examined the United States’ long history in the Middle East, how it successfully (and unsuccessfully) pursued its interests there, and what should come next after the failed transformations of the post-9/11 era.

To receive ad-free podcasts, become a Lawfare Material Supporter at www.patreon.com/lawfare. You can also support Lawfare by making a one-time donation at https://givebutter.com/lawfare-institute.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/lawfare.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	The following podcast contains advertising.
0:04.4	To access an ad-free version of the Lawfare podcast, become a material supporter of Lawfare at
0:11.5	patreon.com slash lawfare. That's patreon.com slash lawfare.
0:18.2	Also, check out Lawfare's other podcast offerings, Rational Security, Chatter,
0:25.2	Lawfare No Bull, and The Aftermath.
0:32.4	Say hello to MoneyPenny. We're you, whenever you can't be. From, Can You Put Me Through to John, to,
0:38.4	Can I book in at 3pm tomorrow? We handle it all just like you would. Your conversations perfected.
0:44.2	Visit moneypenny.com.uk today.
0:47.9	Here comes Steve, with the satisfied smile of a man who's checking out at midday after a great
0:54.0	night's sleep and a delicious unlimited brecky.
0:57.6	See the untamable bedhead hair.
0:59.8	And if you look really close, you can see that properly well-rested glow, which can only mean one thing.
1:06.3	Last night, he slept at Premier Inn.
1:09.5	Get better sleep for your money. Premier in. Rest easy. Breakfast
1:14.4	subject to availability. T's and C's apply. I'm Mary Ford, intern at Lawfare, with an episode for the Lawfare Archive for August 17th, 2025.
1:37.3	Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Israel intended to occupy Gaza.
1:44.0	Netanyahu later clarified Israeli plans to occupy Gaza City and parts of central Gaza,
1:49.0	but a tactical military plan has yet to materialize.
1:53.0	American support of Israel has been crucial to maintaining the war effort.
1:57.0	As the war on Gaza continues, though, the U.S. alliance with Israel has increasingly tested American relations with other countries in the Middle East.
2:05.7	For today's archive episode, I selected an episode from July 31st, 2024, in which Scott Anderson sat down with Senior Fellow from Middle East and Africa Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations,
2:18.7	Stephen Cook, to discuss his book entitled The End of Ambition, America's Past, Present, and Future in the
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in 9 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Lawfare Institute, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Lawfare Institute and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.