The Power of Nightmares
The Rise of the Politics of Fear
S01E02: The Phantom Victory
Islamist factions, rapidly falling under the more radical influence of Zawahiri and his rich Saudi acolyte Osama bin Laden, join the Neo-Conservative-influenced Reagan Administration to combat the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. They are successful in repulsing the Soviet armies and, when the Eastern Bloc begins to collapse in the late 1980s, both groups believe they were the primary architect of the "Evil Empire's" defeat and thus have the power to carry out their revolutions in their homelands. Curtis instead argues that the Soviets were on their last legs and were doomed to collapse without intervention.
Overview
Examines how politicians have used our fears to increase their power and control over society.
Episodes
In the past our politicians offered us dreams of a better world. Now they promise to protect us from nightmares. The most frightening of these is the threat of an international terror network. But just...
S01E02 The Phantom Victory
Islamist factions, rapidly falling under the more radical influence of Zawahiri and his rich Saudi acolyte Osama bin Laden, join the Neo-Conservative-influenced Reagan Administration to combat the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan. They are successful...
S01E03 The Shadows in the Cave
Curtis argues that, after their failed revolutions, bin Laden and Zawahiri had little or no popular support, let alone a serious complex organisation of terrorists, and were dependent upon independent operatives to carry out their...
Cast
Gilles Kepel
Himself
Melvin Goodman
Himself
Stephen Holmes
Himself
William Kristol
Himself
Michael Ledeen
Himself

Richard Perle
Himself
Azzam Tamimi
Himself
Fouad Allam
Himself
Abdullah Anas
Himself
Milton Bearden
Himself
Vincent Cannistraro
Himself
Anne Cahn
Herself