Inside the Absurdity of the Iraq War with Christian Caryl, former Op-Ed Editor at the Washington Post

Most people experience history through headlines. Christian Caryl experienced it firsthand.When Christian arrived in Iraq in August 2003, the war was technically over. The future was not.The country was in a strange in-between state. The old regime had collapsed, the new Iraq had not yet emerged, and nobody—from military leaders to journalists to ordinary Iraqis—could confidently explain what would happen next.In this episode of Risky Routes, Christian reflects on reporting from Iraq during one of the most consequential geopolitical moments of the 21st century. We talk about the gap between perception and reality, the absurdity and uncertainty of the early occupation, and what daily life actually looked like beyond the headlines.More than two decades later, Christian returned to Baghdad and found a city that was dramatically different from the one he first encountered. The contrast became an opportunity to reflect on how countries, conflicts, and people evolve in ways that outsiders often miss.Along the way, we discuss the lessons journalism teaches about leadership and decision-making: trust your instincts, seek firsthand experience, question conventional wisdom, and pay attention to the stories nobody else is telling.This episode is about uncertainty, curiosity, and the value of getting close enough to the world to see it for yourself.