Former Delta Force Operator “Sheriff Of Baghdad” Talks Middle East Geopolitics

Retired Sergeant Major and former Delta Force operator John McPhee, known as the “Sheriff of Baghdad,” joined the Jedburgh Podcast to discuss a range of military and geopolitical topics, including the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, the failure of US military strategy in the Middle East, NATO operations, Israel’s tactical innovations, and more.

“We had enough money to buy where the f**k Saddam was without ever firing a shot. Boot on the ground in Afghanistan, I knew this was going to be f**ked up later. This is where Nations go to die. What the f**k did we think was going to happen?” McPhee said at the beginning of the podcast, making for a pretty explosive intro. 

Here’s a summary of McPhee’s conversation with Jedburgh Podcast’s former Special Forces Green Beret Fran Racioppi: 

1. Initial Disillusionment with Afghanistan: McPhee knew early in the Afghanistan conflict that it was doomed, echoing a pattern of failed nation-building by the US.

2. Special Forces Mission Explained: The role of special forces is to arm, equip, and train local forces in foreign nations for combat, requiring immense trust.

3. Afghanistan’s Reconstitution: McPhee discussed how groups like the Taliban and Al-Qaeda are rebuilding, with U.S. money continuing to flow into Afghanistan.

4. Failure of U.S. Military Strategy: McPhee criticized the U.S. for leaving equipment behind in Afghanistan, which may be used against the U.S. later. He suggested that the equipment should have been destroyed.

5. Known as the “Sheriff of Baghdad”: A story about how a t-shirt joke evolved into a business concept, with the speaker humorously taking on the persona of “Sheriff of Baghdad.”

6. Mistake of Disbanding Iraq’s Army: McPhee criticized the U.S. decision to disband Iraq’s military, police, and other organizations post-Saddam, leading to chaos.

7. Saddam’s Strategy: McPhee described Saddam as a skilled leader who maintained a tight grip on the Middle East, keeping Iran in check.

8. Failure to Locate Weapons of Mass Destruction: McPhee noted the failure to find WMDs in Iraq, although chemical weapons were later found in Syria.

9. Syria vs Iraq: McPhee compared situations in Iraq and Syria, with a focus on the complexity of the Syrian conflict and the necessity of working with local factions.

10. War on Terror and Political Motivations: McPhee argued that the War on Terror is driven by money and power rather than ideology, with Iran’s internal network seen as broken after the death of key leaders like Soleimani.

You should probably give it a watch—15 minutes in length.

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