The Longest War

The documentary takes a look at the USA's involvement in its longest war, Afghanistan. Contributors include US journalists, CIA, US combatants, Afghans who supported the "democratically" elected president. What it doesn't feature is a Taliban or Isis perspective on the US led war, surely an essential for any such documentary? It doesn't include the perspective of any of the US's allies. It doesn't include the perspective of any "neutral" Afghans. It does include much hand wringing & finger pointing from US personnel involved in the air, ground & governance of the war. This apparent arrogance in the documentary is neatly displayed when a news reporter describes how 1 American has been killed in a bomb attack & then almost as an afterthought mentions 10 Afghans were also killed. You get the feeling they have found the people they want to interview & have decided that's all they need without much thought for detail. Large time periods are ignored. At best, a very high level, one sided view of the US involvement in Afghanistan squashed into less then 90 minutes.

A lot of the facts you would find else where, you get in the documentary. The story begins when the soviets leave, and ends with Afghanis blaming the US for not sticking around longer. Some information is more flushed out in this film, than something you would get from PBS. Which makes sense, PBS isn't going to go into detail on how intelligence officers were discussing how to mount Bin Laden's head on a pike and preserve it with dry ice.

One issue I do take, is this film acts as though enhanced interrogation worked. When Congress and the CIA both officially state there was zero actionable intel from torture, it didn't prevent any attack, and was wholly unnecessary. Not sure why the film doesn't even take a balanced approach. Or since they are contrary to all other claims about enhanced interrogation, they could have at least provided evidence of what attacks were prevented, thanks to what specific torture technique. But spooks gunna spook.

Those words, used in the title, make a great fiction movie. But, when they're used in the dialog in which men and women on both "sides" have died and or are maimed for life and CONTINUE to do so; Those words are criminal. The one thing for sure, the tens of thousands of troops sent in harms way were not there to "protect our freedoms" or Kill/get Bin Laden ...No; It's murder and control of the third world and control of the resources, primarily Opium...

This is like a documentary made by Goebbels...Shame on you frauds! USAF vet.

DVD lacked subtitles for the elderly, disabled, hearing impaired, and ESL viewers.

Taliban wants to enforce an extremely restricted form of Islam. You get the right to life, but you give up all other rights. An atmosphere of fear, oppression in which Sharia Law will be enforced.

Biden is abandoning the girls & women of Afghanistan to be valued as less than cattle (even slaughtered). In 2001 (Taliban ruling) 900,000 students in schools - number of girls, ZERO. If females try to be educated or have a job they are killed, even girls. If our military can not support the basic ideals that make up our country why have them?

Wanted to see a movie which explained a bit about what happened in Afghanistan but it felt like Americans justifying their actions and showing how they were in the right to the point where one guy was justifying the torture of Afghan POWs. I have given it three stars because it's we shot and uses some good footage. But it's seriously so one sided.