Rethink Afghanistan
| Rethink Afghanistan | |
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| Directed by | Robert Greenwald |
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| Language | English |
Rethink Afghanistan is a 2009 documentary by Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films, about the US military presence in Afghanistan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
Produced and released eight years into the war, at a time when Congress was considering sending tens of thousands of new troops to Afghanistan, the film asks the American public to reconsider basic questions about the conflict, such as how much will it cost, in lives and money? How long will Americans troops be there? How do we know if we’ve won? What is our exit strategy?
The film was initially made available for free, online, in six consecutive chapters. This staggered release allowed the filmmakers to stay atop an ever-changing news cycle. Greenwald characterized it as “the first real-time documentary.”
Part 1: More Troops + Afghanistan = Catastrophe, questions the value of increasing the number of US troops in Afghanistan.
Part 2: The Most Dangerous Country in the World argues that the ongoing conflict may further destabilized Pakistan, an unpredictable and volatile nuclear power.
Part 3: The Cost of War explores the financial impact of the war, calculating that it could easily cost American taxpayers in excess of a trillion dollars.
Part 4: Civilian Casualities looks at the death and damage that children and other innocent non-combatants suffer as the war continues.
Part 5: Women of Afghanistan debunks the claim that American troops support a feminist revolution. In this chapter, Afghan women report that they are suffering more than they did under the Taliban.
Part 6: Security features a variety of CIA and other experts predict that this military action will ultimately make the US less safe, increase anti-American sentiment abroad, and create more terrorists.
The documentary campaign was designed to change the media narrative about the war, ultimately aimed at ending US involvement in Afghanistan. The key message, that military solutions won’t change ingrained political, social and economic problems in Afghanistan, lead to the conclusion that US policy needed to be rethought to reflect that reality. Greenwald stated that the film was intended as an organizing tool and “our mission is to reach as many people as possible and motivate them to take action.”
At the time of production, Greenwald determined that the topic of the Afghanistan war was extremely time sensitive, as policy was being decided in Washington concurrently, including decisions regarding a 2009 troop “surge.” This informed his decision to release the film in sequential segments, on a shoestring, fundraising as he went along.
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