Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror

Synopsis

Award-winning journalist John Pilger investigates the discrepancies between American and British claims for the ‘war on terror’ and the facts on the ground as he finds them in Afghanistan and Washington, DC.

In Washington, Pilger conducts a series of remarkable interviews with William Kristol, editor of The Weekly Standard, and leading Administration officials such as Douglas Feith, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and John Bolton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. These people, and the other architects of the Project for the New American Century, were dismissed as ‘the crazies’ by the first Bush Administration in the early 90s when they first presented their ideas for pre-emptive strikes and world domination.

Pilger also interviews presidential candidate General Wesley Clark, and former intelligence officers, all the while raising searching questions about the real motives for the ‘war on terror’.

While President Bush refers to the US attacks on Afghanistan and Iraq as two ‘great victories’, Pilger asks the question: victories over whom, and for what purpose? Pilger describes Afghanistan as a country "more devastated than anything I have seen since Pol Pot’s Cambodia". He finds that Al-Qaida has not been defeated and that the Taliban is re-emerging.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Subjects

Media studies; Politics & government

Keywords

Afghanistan; Iraq war; Bush, George W; war on terror; Neoconservatives; US military; Taliban; Al-Qaeda

Credits

Director

John Pilger; Steve Connelly

Producer

Christopher Martin; Richard Clemmow

Writer

John Pilger

Distribution Formats

Type

DVD

Format

Region 0 NTSC

Price

$295.00 [Institutional licence]

Availability

Sale

Duration/Size

52 minutes

Year

2013

Type

VHS

Format

NTSC

Availability

Sale

Production Company

Name

Carlton Television

Distributor

Name

Bullfrog Films

Email

info@bullfrogfilms.com

Web

http://www.bullfrogfilms.com External site opens in new window

Phone

+1 610 779 8226

Fax

+1 610 370 1978

Address

PO Box 149
Oley, PA 19547
USA

Notes

Bullfrog Films is a major US publisher of DVDs and videos about the environment. ‘Environment’ is defined broadly and the collection includes programmes on ecology, energy, agriculture, indigenous peoples, women’s studies, genetics, marine biology, sustainable development, community regeneration, economics, ethics, and conflict resolution. In recent years they have released many films about developing countries, globalisation, changing gender roles and human rights. Styles range from animation to drama and from personal essay to investigative documentary. Bullfrog also distributes the performing arts films from Rhombus Media.