| With the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan claiming several new successes in its long running fight against the country's ruling Taliban, this eye-opening documentary looks back to a time when the resistance forces were at their weakest. Subject to severe drought, poverty and war, the future for Afghanistan looked bleak. Now, with the help of the United States, the Northern Alliance has a chance of victory against the Taliban. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL JSCA 21 min. |
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"Recommended. This program gives the viewer an
interesting insight into the opinions and tactics of certain Islamic
Fundamentalist groups in Indonesia and the Philippines. Its purpose is to
indicate the threat these organizations pose to the U.S, and describe
whatever actions are being taken against them, if any. It does this quite
well. It is well paced and has an effective narration." -EMRO Review Associated Article: tThe Agent: How 9/11 Might Have Been Prevented -The New Yorker Magazine Indonesia Extremists shows us that while most of Indonesia's 190 million Muslims are considered moderate; there is a rapidly rising tide of Islamic fundamentalism, and Muslim extremists are willing and able to turn the current terrorist crisis to their own advantage. Indonesia's new president, Megawati Sukarnoputri, faces a difficult situation, needing America's support for economic revival, while facing strong opposition from radical Muslims. Terrorists in the Philippines is a chilling report as the FBI reopens the files to a plot, six years ago, by Arab extremists in the Philippines to assassinate the Pope and to use aircraft as flying bombs aimed at American targets. The mastermind was Islamic zealot, Ramzi Yousef, linked directly to Osama bin Laden, and one has to question whether the 1995 plot was a blueprint for the events of September 11 and, if so, why was it tragically ignored? Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL JSCA 30 min. |
| One of the 19 hijackers identified so far by the FBI is a Lebanese man, Ziad Samir Jarrah, who is said to have been on board hijacked flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania. What’s disturbing about this profile of the man is he does not fit the expected profile of a terrorist: he came from a well-off, middle-class family who held relatively liberal beliefs, not those of a religious fanatic. The evidence is nonetheless weighted against Jarrah. The warning of this documentary short comes from Sarid Khazen, of American University in Beirut: "these people are not your classic terrorists: They come from well-off families and are not destitute, poor individuals." As proof of Jarrah's involvement gets more compelling by the day, it is not just his family, but people all around the world, who are struggling to understand such a person. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL JSCA 10 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. This film is of high audio and video
quality, great investigative reporting, and extremely valuable for programs
in international affairs, political science, or Middle Eastern studies."
-EMRO Review An extremely timely program enlightening viewers to three important views of the volatile situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran today: Pakistan: The Fundamental View - shows the growth of radicalism in Pakistan, which has a number of Koranic schools, or "madrassas," that are known to turn out Islamic extremists. Also a number of "jihadi" parties are ready to join the Taliban in a holy war against the West, a sentiment that is causing many worries for the country's moderate rulers. Afghanistan: No Simple Solution - asks: as the Northern Alliance and the US-led coalition come together, what future lies ahead for this war-torn country? Especially since Afghans have long squabbled over solutions to their history of war and invasion. Iran: The Drug War - reports on the claims that the Taliban regime is planning to release huge quantities of opium and heroin into the world market. Iran, with over 2 million addicts, is making great efforts to deter the drug traffickers. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL SCA 30 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. "This program should be of great
interest given the current war with militant Islam, as well as Pakistan's
seemingly perpetual dispute with India." -EMRO Review A short, but precise, program on the serious dilemma facing Pakistan and its President, Pervez Musharraf, who is in danger of alienating a significant sector of his country by working with the USA against fundamentalist Islam during this war on terrorism. It is no secret that Pakistan has trained and supported many high-ranking Taliban officials; also fundamentalism is widespread amongst the militia and the general populace. Here reporters talk to the very visible militant sectors in Pakistan, spurred on by the Holy wars in Afghanistan and Kashmir and clearly not inclined to alignment with America. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL JSCA 10 min. |
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"Highly Recommended. This eye-opening program looks at
the long-standing feud between Pakistan and India. Thanks to a fearless
reporter and fellow cameraperson, this program offers a firsthand view of
life along border areas. The growing threat of nuclear war seems to hang
like a mythical sword over these two beleaguered nations." -Booklist "Highly Recommended. Portraying the Pakistani view of the Kashmir conflict, this production is a good introduction to this seemingly perpetual dispute with India that shows various locales along the border where the action; also it includes beneficial interviews with a number of individuals." -EMRO Review The world knows that India and Pakistan possess nuclear weapons, they also have an unknown number of Islamic extremists sympathetic to the terrorists’ cause. As they join the U.S. war on terrorism, these facts underscore the importance of recognizing their long-time hostile relationship over Kashmir. In this documentary daring reporters venture up to the Pakistan military's highest base on the Siachen glacier in the disputed border between India and Pakistan, experiencing the fighting first-hand, and talking with both the villagers and politicians. Both sides accuse the other of terrorism, which threatens to escalate the conflict. This is an issue these two nuclear powers certainly need to resolve. Produced by ABC Australia. 08DR/CL JSCA 30 min. |