I seldom watch tv but this is highly recommended, and can also be seen on line - the full series of four hours. It was recommended to me by a member of Vote Vets who was in Iraq when the war started.
“Bush’s War” in marks the dismal anniversary of five years at war. The two-part “Frontline” documentary begins with the attacks of 9/11 and moves toward the Bush administration’s inevitable shock-and-awe response. Then there's the "secret war." Behind the scenes, Powell and Tenet were battle Cheney and Rumsfeld. Powell says that on 9/11, “I suggested to the president and my other colleagues that this was an opportunity to begin pulling together a worldwide coalition.” That same night, Rumsfeld said: “Part of our response maybe should be attacking Iraq. It’s an opportunity.” To do so, he set up his own spy unit, which Cheney repeatedly cited as evidence for the attack, even though it was disputed by the CIA and FBI.
In Part II, America has a swift "victory" and looting begins. Rumsfeld responds, "Stuff happens." The insurgency grows, with no real US plan. No weapons of mass destruction are found. The Abu Ghraib prison scandal is revealed, the "surge" begins as public support erodes. The 2008 election race is in process. The producer, Michael Kirk, was interviewed in "Fresh Air" tonight on NPR, by Terry Gross. The program draws on 40 prior programs on the war on terror, and nearly 400 interviews shot since 9/11.
(from Kangaroo in Australia)
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