The Aporia · Meet the General Who Was Told of the U.S. Plan to Attack 7 Muslim Countries After 9/11

Former General Wesley Clark was informed at the Pentagon that the Bush administration planned to attack seven Middle Eastern countries in five years, including Iraq and Iran, after the 9/11 attacks. The U.S. has since attacked five of these countries. In a conversation with Mehdi, Clark also discusses his opposition to the 2003 Iraq invasion but support for the 2001 Afghanistan invasion, as well as his views on the "War on Terror" and its impact on the US. The interview was part of Zeteo's special week-long coverage of 9/11's 25th anniversary.

Written by the local model on 2026-09-11, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

Story summary

On October 8, 2024, Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was killed, an event that has become a significant marker for young conservatives in America, akin to September 11, 2001 and the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. The day of his death is now referred to by some as 9/10, symbolizing its impact on political activism among students. Meanwhile, the small Canadian town of Gander played a pivotal role during the September 11 attacks when U.S. airspace was closed, leading to 38 international flights landing there, doubling the population overnight and necessitating an impromptu humanitarian effort by locals to aid around 7,000 stranded passengers and crew members for several days. This act of kindness inspired the Broadway musical "Come From Away," which highlights Gander's generosity and humanity in times of crisis.

Written for “9/11 Anniversary Reflections” on 2026-09-12, grounded in this article and the 167 other(s) covering the same event.

Why this leaning score

The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.

the Bush administration was planning to attack seven Middle Eastern countries in the span of just five years

left implies that the US had a pre-existing plan to invade multiple countries

Score -0.60 Confidence high

Leaning score -0.60 for article 7901 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-11

📰 9/11 Anniversary Reflections

Politics · 168 article(s) covering the same event.

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability

Source leaning vs. consistency

This article reads leans left and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

25 Years Since 9/11: 13 Numbers That Tell the Story same event · 100%

Zeteo

⚖️ Leans left 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 7

“Both articles are referring to the same incident, specifically the September 11, 2001 attacks”

How the ‘War on Terror’ Went Global - and Backfired on the United States same event · 100%

Zeteo

⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 14

“Both articles mention the 9/11 attacks and its aftermath, and both are part of Zeteo's special coverage, suggesting they are discussing the same incident”

‘Institutional neglect’: 25 years on from 9/11, experts sound alarm over US counter-terror efforts same event · 100%

The Guardian

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 11% hedged 4 of 38 📰 publisher trust 60

“Both articles report on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, specifically mentioning its aftermath and the US response.”

Spies, strategies and missed opportunities: How the lessons of 9/11 are still being learnt same event · 100%

BBC News

⚖️ Leans left 🔴 6% hedged 5 of 82 📰 publisher trust 96

“Both articles discuss the 9/11 attacks and share the same date (September 11, 2001)”

9/11 Changed Our Politics same event · 100%

Persuasion

⚖️ Leans strongly right further right than this 🔴 7% hedged 7 of 98

“Both articles mention the September 11, 2001 attacks and are dated September 11, 2026, indicating they are discussing the same event's anniversary.”

The Burning Towers Foreshadowed a Burning World – Viet Thanh Nguyen on the 25 Years After 9/11 same event · 100%

Zeteo

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 15% hedged 2 of 13

“Both articles cover the 9/11 attacks, which occurred on September 11, 2001”

‘We Are Going to War’: H.R. McMaster Remembers 9/11 same event · 100%

The Free Press

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 0% hedged 0 of 7 📰 publisher trust 96

“Both articles describe H.R. McMaster's experience and remembrance of 9/11, specifically mentioning his thoughts about going to war after the attacks.”

Mark Milke: Why the Islamist challenge to the West is so terrifying same event · 100%

National Post

⚖️ Leans strongly right further right than this 🔴 15% hedged 7 of 47 📰 publisher trust 96

“Both articles describe the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as a shared reference point and mention it is the 25th anniversary of that event.”

Mistakes, mistrust and misdirection: 25 years after 9/11, its dark legacy continues to unfold same event · 100%

The Guardian

⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this 🔴 6% hedged 7 of 120 📰 publisher trust 60

“Both articles describe the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, specifically mentioning the date (September 11, 2001) and the impact on that day”

Sheryl Saperia: 25 years on, what would bin Laden see? same event · 100%

National Post

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 6% hedged 6 of 102 📰 publisher trust 96

“Both articles mention the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and seem to be part of a commemorative coverage.”

Zeteo · 66 article(s) · 0 correction(s) detected

No corrections detected for this publisher. That may mean careful reporting, or simply that nothing has been checked.

Mehdi Hasan

13 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

🔮 “We still live in a culture that took my daughter, made a mess of the country she left behind, and every single day I want people to know that Vanessa would not recognize this country.”

2026-09-12 · assertive framing · Two 9/11 Mothers Remember Their Children Killed 25 Years Ago

🔮 If you’re a paid subscriber, you will get to watch live conversations on stage between Mehdi and Zeteo UK journalists and contributors Shehab Khan, Sangita Myska, and Peter Oborne, as well as Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

2026-09-11 · assertive framing · *LIVE ALERT* Stream Zeteo UK’s London Launch Event With Mehdi and Zack Polanski

🔮 Why would you want to miss this lively clash of ideas and opinions?

2026-09-10 · assertive framing · Are Democrats Turning Against Israel - or Jews? Two Leading Jewish Voices Debate Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism

🔮 Sometimes I wonder: What would I be doing today if those planes had never hit those buildings?

2026-09-09 · assertive framing · Where Were You on 9/11? My Story and Yours, 25 Years Later

🔮 Eagleson also discusses Trump’s cozy relationship with MBS and his failure “to try to get Saudi Arabia to admit culpability” for the attacks on September 11, as well as what he calls the “shameful” and “pathetic attempt” to ban New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani from attending a commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero.

2026-09-09 · assertive framing · He Lost His Father on 9/11. 25 Years Later, He Is Part of a Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia

🔮 Will billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk ever pay their fair share of taxes?

2026-09-04 · assertive framing · Here’s How You Tax the Billionaires

🔮 If Democrats are expected to disavow Hasan Piker when he isn’t antisemitic, shouldn’t Republicans disavow Elon Musk when he… is?

2026-09-04 · assertive framing · First Draft: Will Republicans Be Asked to Disavow Elon Musk Over His Latest Creepy Antisemitic Post?

🔮 And while you think you may already know Hunter Biden, Mehdi flew out to Los Angeles to sit down with him in person and get to the bottom of some unanswered questions, including Hunter’s influence during Joe Biden’s presidency, the genocide in Gaza, and whether he accepts any responsibility for the right-wing attacks on him and the Biden family name.

2026-08-31 · assertive framing · Mehdi Challenges Hunter Biden on Gaza, the 2024 Election, Democrats, and His Own Regrets

🔮 Mehdi challenges Wilson on his vision for a Christian nationalist America – which, according to Wilson, would eliminate the 19th Amendment that granted women the right to vote, end gay marriage, and ban non-Christians from taking office.

2026-08-25 · assertive framing · Mehdi Debates Pete Hegseth’s Christian Nationalist Pastor Ally

More on this subject from Mehdi Hasan

He Lost His Father on 9/11. 25 Years Later, He Is Part of a Lawsuit Against Saudi Arabia

2026-09-09 · Zeteo · 58% similar

All 13 articles by Mehdi Hasan →

9/11 Iran Iraq U.S. Zeteo

U.S. GPE · 6× Mehdi PERSON · 4× Iran GPE · 3× Zeteo ORG · 3× Clark PERSON · 2× Iraq GPE · 2× America GPE · 1× Bush PERSON · 1× Middle Eastern NORP · 1× Pentagon ORG · 1×

In this insightful and, at times, heated conversation, Mehdi asks General Clark: How he found out about the U.S.’s plans to attack the Middle East after 9/11 Why he was an outspoken critic of the 2003 Iraq invasion but supported the 2001 Afghanistan invasion Whether he believes the ‘War on Terror’ was a defeat for the U.S. Why he supports the war on Iran today and how he defines ‘success’ His affiliation with Iranian cult and controversial opposition group Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s dangerous purging of the top ranks of the U.S. military. Paid subscribers can watch the full conversation above, in which Mehdi challenges Clark on the U.S. killing of civilians in Iran, while free subscribers can access a four-minute preview.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-09-11

2026-09-11 · Zeteo

Meet the General Who Was Told of the U.S. Plan to Attack 7 Muslim Countries After 9/11 · assertive framing

Note from our Editor-in-Chief: Friday marks 25 years since the horrific attacks on September 11, 2001. asserted

Friday → mark → September

It’s been 25 years since 9/11, which also means 25 years of the so-called global “War on Terror.” asserted

which → mean → Terror

But did you know that in the weeks following the attacks, a retired four-star U.S. general went to the Pentagon and was told that the Bush administration was planning to attack seven Middle Eastern countries in the span of just five years? asserted

administration → know → years

Since 9/11, the U.S. has attacked five of those seven countries. asserted

U.S. → attack → countries

That general, former Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO, Wesley Clark, tells Mehdi, “It was clear at the time that we were going to have to do something to Osama bin Laden. asserted

we → tell → Laden

I also knew that we’d been scheming to find a reason to invade and finish off Saddam Hussein.” asserted

we → know → Hussein

In this insightful and, at times, heated conversation, Mehdi asks General Clark: How he found out about the U.S.’s plans to attack the Middle East after 9/11 Why he was an outspoken critic of the 2003 Iraq invasion but supported the 2001 Afghanistan invasion Whether he believes the ‘War on Terror’ was a defeat for the U.S. Why he supports the war on Iran today and how he defines ‘success’ His affiliation with Iranian cult and controversial opposition group Mojahedin-e Khalq (MEK) And Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s dangerous purging of the top ranks of the U.S. military. Paid subscribers can watch the full conversation above, in which Mehdi challenges Clark on the U.S. killing of civilians in Iran, while free subscribers can access a four-minute preview. asserted

subscribers → ask → preview

Meet the General Who Was Told of the U.S. Plan to Attack 7 Muslim Countries After 9/11

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