Don't Screw It Up

In the third episode we explore how Barack Obama set out to end George Bush's wars in the Middle East and reset relations with the rest of the world.

In Cairo, Obama spoke to the Arab world, calling democracy a human right. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defence Secretary Robert Gates describe how two years later protests erupted in Tahrir square. The President is torn between their view that Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak provides stability in the region, and the views of his younger advisors who believed in the promise of the Arab Spring. Before long, a similar test arises in Libya, Hillary Clinton changes her position to back military intervention and Obama agrees to join allies in airstrikes against Col Gaddafi.

In Syria, when shocking evidence shows the use of chemical weapons, Obama decides to bomb. But former Foreign Secretary William Hague explains why the British Parliament voted against intervention in 2013, and President Obama explains why he then decided to seek the backing of a reluctant Congress.

This episode also explores how Obama scored a big win when he negotiated a secret deal to end the nuclear threat from Iran – behind the backs of his closest allies. Secretary of State John Kerry tells how he worked through the night with President Obama on the phone to secure the outlines of the deal.