Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror
Encyclopedia
Breaking the Silence: Truth and Lies in the War on Terror is a 2003 Carlton Television
documentary written and directed by John Pilger
, produced by Christopher Martin and co-directed by Steve Connelly. In the film, Pilger presents a personal view of "the truth and lies in the 'war on terror'."
with, what Pilger sees, as the humanitarian failures in countries such as Afghanistan
and Iraq
. It asserts that the Afghan mujahideen and Afghan Arabs
including Osama bin Laden
, from which later both the Taliban and Al Qaeda were created, received support from the United States
and by Britain
's MI6. Pilger alleges that President Jimmy Carter
authorised a five-hundred million dollar programme to help set up the native Afghan mujahideen, starting as early as six months prior to the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan
.
Carlton Television
Carlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
documentary written and directed by John Pilger
John Pilger
John Richard Pilger is an Australian journalist and documentary maker, based in London. He has twice won Britain's Journalist of the Year Award, and his documentaries have received academy awards in Britain and the US....
, produced by Christopher Martin and co-directed by Steve Connelly. In the film, Pilger presents a personal view of "the truth and lies in the 'war on terror'."
Synopsis
The documentary attempts to contrast the proclaimed aims of the War on TerrorWar on Terror
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
with, what Pilger sees, as the humanitarian failures in countries such as Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. It asserts that the Afghan mujahideen and Afghan Arabs
Afghan Arabs
Afghan Arabs were Arab and other Muslim Islamist mujahideen who came to Afghanistan during and following the Soviet-Afghan War to help fellow Muslims fight Soviets and pro-Soviet Afghans....
including Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
, from which later both the Taliban and Al Qaeda were created, received support from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and by Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
's MI6. Pilger alleges that President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
authorised a five-hundred million dollar programme to help set up the native Afghan mujahideen, starting as early as six months prior to the Soviet invasion into Afghanistan
Soviet war in Afghanistan
The Soviet war in Afghanistan was a nine-year conflict involving the Soviet Union, supporting the Marxist-Leninist government of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan against the Afghan Mujahideen and foreign "Arab–Afghan" volunteers...
.
Reviews
It's referred to as an "excellent film" in the book Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal. It won a Commendation or Honorable Mention award at a 2004 film and video festival.Awards and festival screenings
- Gold Award, WorldMedia Festival, Hamburg
- Nominated for Best Documentary, BAFTA (British Oscar) Awards
- Honorable Mention, Society for Visual Anthropology Film Festival
- Vermont International Film Festival
- Bellingham Human Rights Film Festival
- Freedom Cinema Festival
- Istanbul International Labor Film Festival