Monsters of Our Own Creation? America’s Role in the Mideast

From Islamic State to al-Qaida, Saddam Hussein to Bashar Assad, the last decade and a half has been dominated by turmoil in the Middle East. What role does the United States play in cultivating this chaos? Three journalists debate the past, present and future of blowback.

Middle East expert Juan Cole and longtime foreign affairs journalist Leslie Cockburn tackle these complex questions at a Truthdig discussion event moderated by Editor-in-Chief Robert Scheer.