Dexter Filkins is a Pulitzer Prize-winning staff writer for The New Yorker, renowned for his extensive reporting on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and his acclaimed book, "The Forever War."
“We're not going to sit around wait to be attacked. This is good enough, even though it's not conclusive, it's good enough and we're going to war.”
It encapsulates a controversial decision-making philosophy: acting on incomplete information to preempt a perceived threat, a stance that sparks debate on risk tolerance and the cost of certainty.
Dexter Filkins
“We didn't really have very solid intelligence that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. We had, I would say, what, you know, hints and emanations.”
This quote exposes a critical failure in intelligence assessment that led to a major war, questioning the foundations of critical decision-making.
Dexter Filkins
“President Trump went on his own. He didn't ask Congress for a declaration. We didn't have a debate in Congress. We didn't even have a speech to the American people about it until the President on his own decided to launch this. I think that's the biggest difference: Trump is alone with this war. It's his.”
This quote highlights a significant shift in the executive branch's approach to military action, bypassing traditional democratic processes and consolidating power.
Dexter Filkins
“It's hard for me to imagine a way in which the United States can leave until it's open in some way. And so in that way, it feels a little bit like Baghdad in 2006.”
This quote draws a provocative parallel between a current geopolitical entanglement and the challenging, prolonged quagmire of the Iraq War, suggesting potential future difficulties for U.S. foreign policy.
Dexter Filkins
“This is the most shocking part of the war. I was there on the ground and I remember the feeling of holy cow, how could we be so stupid?”
This quote offers a raw, firsthand reflection on a major strategic failure, encapsulating a profound sense of bewilderment and regret over a critical historical event.
Dexter Filkins
“It wasn't a formal declaration of war, but it was pretty much a blank check to do what he needed to do. That is conspicuously missing from this war. President Trump went on his own. He didn't ask Congress. The biggest difference is that Trump is alone with this war. It's his.”
This contrasts different presidential approaches to military action, emphasizing the role (or lack thereof) of legislative consent and individual accountability for war decisions.
Dexter Filkins
“We can tally up all the great accomplishments of the American military, but the overriding fact is that the strait is closed.”
This quote challenges traditional metrics of military success by highlighting a critical strategic failure that can overshadow other achievements.
Dexter Filkins