9/11, Afghanistan and Iraq 9/11 34767-D

Originally broadcast as an episode of the PBS television program Media matters.

The first two segments explore the relationship between the press and the Pentagon in the coverage of the war in Afghanistan and asks whether the Pentagon has kept the American public too much in the dark about war against terrorism. The third segment looks at how journalists cover the world of men's college basketball. Focuses on the coverage of coach Jerry Tarkanian and his Fresno State Bulldogs by the Fresno Bee and asks what responsibility sports journalists have to investigate off-court scandals.

56 minutes

"Tens of thousands of fresh American troops are now on the move in Afghanistan, led by a new commander and armed with a counterinsurgency plan that builds on the lessons of Iraq. But can U.S. forces succeed in a land long known as the "graveyard of empires"? And can the U.S. stop the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan, where U.S. troops are not allowed and the government is weak? In Obama's War, veteran correspondent Martin Smith travels across Afghanistan and Pakistan to see first-hand how the president's new strategy is taking shape, delivering vivid, on-the-ground reporting from this eight-year-old war's many fronts. Through interviews with top generals, diplomats and government officials, Smith also reports the internal debates over President Obama's grand attempt to combat terrorism at its roots."-- Frontline website.

60 minutes
On the trail of Bin Laden 39601-H

Retraces the trail taken by Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al Qaeda, since the start of the American offensive in October, 2001, in an effort to understand how Bin Laden has eluded capture since the 9/11 attacks. Follows Bin Laden's path from Jalalabad, Afghanistan, the city where he had set up his headquarters, into the mountains of Tora Bora. Also investigates reported sightings of Bin Laden in the Pakistani cities of Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar and in the tribal areas along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

52 minutes
Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran 51310-D

Gives three views on the volatile situation in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran. The first section, "Pakistan, the Fundamental View," shows the growth of radicalism in Pakistan, which has a number of Koranic schools that are known to turn out Islamic extremists. The second section, "Afghanistan, No Simple Solution," asks as the Northern Alliance and U.S. led coalition come together, what future lies ahead for this country? The last section, "Iran: the Drug War," reports on claims that the Taliban plans to release huge quantities of opium and heroin into the world market, while Iran is making great efforts to deter the drug traffickers.

30 minutes
Return of the Taliban 46792-D

Originally produced for television program Frontline broadcast October 3, 2006.

Frontline reports from the lawless Pakistani tribal areas along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and reveals how the area has fallen under the control of a resurgent Taliban militia, which uses it as a launching pad for attacks on U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan. The area, off limits to U.S. troops by agreement with Pakistan's president and long suspected of harboring Osama bin Laden is now considered a failed state. President Pervez Musharraf tells Frontline reporter Martin Smith that Pakistan's strategy, which includes cash payments to militants who lay down their arms, has clearly foundered. In a regino little understood, Frontline investigates a secret front in the war on terror.

60 minutes Closed Captioned

Nelofer Pazira, star of the feature film 'Kandahar', returns to Afghanistan to search for her childhood friend Dyana. Her first attempt to find Dyana inspired the fictional movie Kandahar. This film is the documentary account of her second journey, taken seven months after the fall of the Taliban. While searching for her friend, Nelofer unravels her past and the troubled history of her country.

65 minutes
Search for freedom 50888-D

"Traces the dramatic social and political history of Afghanistan from the 1920s to the present through the stories of four remarkable women: Princess Shafiqa Saroj, sister of the beloved progressive King Amanullah (1919-1929); Mairman Parveen, the first woman to sing on Afghan radio; Moshina, a war widow and survivor of a Taliban massacre; and Sohaila, an exiled medical student who ran underground schools for RAWA (Revolutionary Association of Afghan Women) during the Taliban regime." - Women Make Movies website.

54 minutes
State of the Talib 33712-H

This documentary traces the history of the Taliban from its rise to power in 1996 to its dominance over the Afghan population. Through interviews with Afghan civilians and refugees this program examines the ideology and objectives of this militant Islamic organization and the tactics they use that often violate human rights and are contrary to the beliefs of many who follow the Islamic religion.

50 minutes
The Taliban legacy 33257-H

A report on current conditions in Afghanistan. The program focuses on the havoc created by the Taliban regime, which has resulted in two million Afghans fleeing the country.

35 minutes
Understanding terrorism: Afghanistan, the lost generation 33404-H

Part one of a five part series presenting the evolution of world terrorism in the past 30 years and the Special Forces of the world's elite counter-terrorism organizations. This first segment focuses on the country of Afghanistan dominated by a terrorist regime in an unflinching look at the atrocities of war and a people struggling to survive in the total desperation caused by an almost perpetual state of conflict. Told through the personal stories of three people Ustad Kamal, a dean of traditional music, 12 yr. old Bashir who struggles to feed his six siblings after his parents were killed and Nasrullah, a soldier crippled by war.

30 minutes
Understanding terrorism: Badges without borders, inside the Diplomatic Security Service 33405-H

Part two of a five part series presenting the evolution of world terrorism in the past 30 years and the Special Forces of the world's elite counter-terrorism organizations. This second segment presents an inside look at the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and the secret world of the elite tactical unit within the DSS, the Mobile Security Division. Includes footage on the specialized training of this specialized force as well as their capture of suspects behind the bombing of the |a World Trade Center in 1993 and other activities including the man-hunt for Osama Bin Laden.

47 minutes
View from a grain of sand 48424-D

Shot over a three-year period in the refugee camps of north-western Pakistan and in the war-torn city of Kabul, three women's personal stories are portrayed within the larger context of international interference, war, and the rise of religious fundamentalists in Afghanistan.

82 minutes
Voice of the Moon 44192-D

The special feature with Richard Stanley, offers insight to the tragic consequences of the Taliban and the CIA collusion.

This 30 minute series of images Stanley recorded while he was in Afghanistan in the late 80’s with some Mujahadin rebels and also the late war journalist Carlos Mavroleon (1958-1998), who worked as a producer, follows the people’s daily attempts to survive in a country being torn to pieces by the Russian invasion. During the shooting, Stanley also encountered the Taliban. Originally made for UNICEF, the film lacks narration save for a Sufi poem accompanied by Simon Boswell's score.

32 minutes

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the late 1970's, many Afghans fled to the U.S. some settling in Fremont, California which became the center of a community of 15,000 exiled Afghans. After the terrorist attacks of September 11th, these Afghan-Americans found themselves caught in a cultural crossfire between their adoptive and native land. Includes interviews with a variety of individuals who tell what it means to be an Afghan in America today and includes a segment on the Fremont community who fought to keep Taliban representatives from taking over their mosque with their brand of fundamentalism.

27 minutes
Iraq War and occupation
Ace in the Hole 43751-D

Originally broadcast on the Military Channel in 2004.

Ace in the Hole is the first-hand story of the U.S. Army investigators who tracked down every lead until their final raid uncovered Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi dictator who was cowering in his 'spider-hole.'

Special feature: Bonus special "Hunting Saddam: wanted dead or alive" and preview.

50 minutes
The Aftermath 36668-D

Post-war Baghdad, April 2003. Ambivalent reaction of residents to US and Allied troops Collapse of basic services, looting, chaos, street demonstrations Socio-political/religious fractures exposed by power vacuum Role of Shia Muslim clerics and US-backed exiles Prospects for future stability and peace

46 minutes

Ahlaam 51187-D

Presents the true stories of three Iraqi people who endured life in a psychiatric hospital in Baghdad during the Iraq War and then were in the streets after their hospital is decimated. The film was shot in Baghdad in 2004. The Iraqi filmmaker had a camera in one hand and an AK-47 in the other. His crew was beaten and lined up to be shot by insurgents, the 14-year old boom boy was shot in the leg, and someone from the cast was kidnapped. Somehow the footage survived.

Special features: Short film "Trip of dreams", biographies, trailer.

110 minues

The Case for War: In Defense of Freedom

Release date: May. 1, 2007

With the debate over the war in Iraq reaching a fever pitch, this program follows one of the advocates for the war against Saddam Hussein. Former Assistant Secretary of Defense, Richard Perle travels the globe articulating, defending and debating the neo-conservative case for an assertive American foreign policy

60 minutes Closed Captioned
Bad Voodoo's war 49450-D

"In June 2007, as the American military surge reached its peak, a band of National Guard infantrymen who call themselves 'The Bad Voodoo Platoon' was deployed to Iraq. To record their war, from private reflections to real-time footage of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on the ground, FRONTLINE creates a 'virtual embed', supplying cameras to the soldiers and working with them to shape an intimate portrait that reveals the hard grind of their war. The film intimately tracks the veteran soldiers of 'Bad Voodoo' through the daily realities of their perilous mission, grappling with the political complexities of dealing with Iraqi security forces, and battling their fatigue and their fears"

56 minutes Closed Captioned
Battle for Haditha 48339-D

On November 19, 2005, Iraqi insurgents bombed a convoy of U.S. Marines in Haditha, Iraq. This results in the death of the company's most popular officer. Enraged by their loss, his comrads carry out a brutal retaliation. This massacre leaves 24 men, women and children dead in Haditha, Iraq. Follows the story of the U.S. Marine Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb.

Special features: Commentary by Nick Broomfield; commentary by Elliot Ruiz; the making of Battle for Haditha; a soldier's story: in conversation with Eric Mehalacopoulos; casting tapes: Andrew McClaren; casting tapes: Elliot Ruiz; in the line of duty: an interview with Elliot Ruiz; theatrical trailer.

97 minutes

Caught in the center of a high-stakes political storm, British Prime Minister Tony Blair tried to personally bridge the gap between the United States and its European allies - particularly France and Germany - over the war in Iraq. Frontline examines the perilous role Blair has played and the stakes for him and the West should this old alliance fall apart.

57 minutes Closed Captioned
Buried in the Sand 39081-D

The Deception of America

Graphically depicts brutality that the U.S. military confronts in Iraq.

Special features: Factoids; photo gallery; most wanted gallery.

66 minutes
The case for war 44758-D

"The Bush administration marketed and sold the war in Iraq to the American people. How and why did the press buy it, and what does that say about the role of journalists in helping the public sort out fact from propaganda? In this program, veteran journalist Bill Moyers, award-winning producer Kathleen Hughes, and their investigative team piece together the reporting and political spin that shaped the public mind prior to, during, and following the 2003 invasion. Exposing the disappearance of a watchdog mentality in mainstream newspaper and TV journalism, the documentary also highlights the work of intrepid Knight Ridder reporters who dug beneath the surface of administration claims, only to be drowned out by the drums of war. Further insight comes from journalists Dan Rather, former anchor of CBS evening news; Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the press; Bob Simon of 60 minutes; and Walter Isaacson, former chairman of CNN."

87 minutes Closed Captioned
Control room 38674-D

A chronicle which provides a rare window into the international perception of the Iraq War, courtesy of Al Jazeera, the Arab world's most popular news outlet. Criticized by Cabinet members and Pentagon officials for reporting with a pro-Iraqi bias, and strongly condemned for frequently airing civilian casualties as well as footage of American POW's, the station has revealed (and continues to show the world) everything about the Iraq War that the Bush administration does not want the public to see.

Special features: commentary by director Jehane Noujaim and producer/cinematographer Hani Salama; commentary by Central Command Press Officer Josh Rushing; commentary by Senior producers Hassan Ibrahim and Samir Khader; more than 30 deleted scenes; theatrical trailer.

86 minutes

“'Deserter' is the journey of Ryan and Jen Johnson-- a deserting soldier and his young wife-- as they flee across the country to seek refugee status over the Canadian border. As they move from safe-house to safe-house, we get to know Ryan and Jen-- two, shy, small-town kids from the Central Valley who joined the military because there were no jobs, and find they must make a heroic stand in order to escape an illegal and immoral war. 'Deserter' is a political road movie with one of the few happy endings that this war has given us"

30 minutes
Endgame 44877-D

Originally broadcast June 19, 2007, on the PBS television program Frontline.

On Dec. 19, 2006, President George W. Bush said for the first time that the United States is not winning the war in Iraq. It was a dramatic admission from a president who had insisted since the war began that things were under control. Now, as the U.S. begins what the administration hopes is the final effort to secure victory through a "surge" of troops, Gen. Jack Keane, Col. William Hix, Col. H.R. McMaster, Maj. Thomas Mowle, State Department Counselor and other military and government officials talk to FRONTLINE about both the military and political events that have led up to the current "surge" strategy, in Endgame. The report is the fifth film in a series of Iraq war stories from FRONTLINE producer Michael Kirk, including Rumsfeld's War, The Torture Question, The Dark Side and The Lost Year in Iraq.

60 minutes

Originally broadcast on HBO in 2008

A "fact-based dramatization" based on Evan Wright's experiences as an embedded reporter with the United States Marine Corps in 2003. Presents a uniquely epic and intimate portrait of the first 40 days of the Iraq war from the perspective of the Marines of the First Recon Battalion.

Special features: audio commentaries; (disc 3) Generation kill: a conversation with the 1st Recon Marines; Making Generation kill; Eric Ladin's video diaries; deleted dialogues.

Disc 1. pt. 1. Get some / directed by Susanna White ; written by David Simon & Ed Burns ; pt. 2. The cradle of civilization / directed by Susanna White ; written by Ed Burns & Evan Wright ; pt. 3. Screwby / directed by Susanna White ; written by Ed Burns -- disc 2. pt. 4. Combat Jack / directed by Simon Cellan Jones ; written by David Simon ; pt. 5. A burning dog / directed by Simon Cellan Jones ; written by Evan Wright ; pt. 6. Stay frosty / directed by Simon Cellan Jones ; written by Ed Burns -- disc 3. pt. 7. Bomb in the garden / directed by Susanna White ; written by David Simon ; Bonus features.

470 minutes

On the eve of the 2003 U.S. invasion, filmmaker Shelley Saywell traveled to Iraq to film the lives of ordinary people, especially young Iraquis, who were caught between Saddam's tyranny and a devastated economy (for which they blamed the West). She returns to find the people she met and interviewed before the war.

45 minutes
Grace is gone 47746-D

Stanley Phillips is a sad, disconnected man unable to tell his young daughters that their mother, a soldier, has died in Iraq. Instead, he takes the girls on a road trip, where their innocent charm helps him rediscover a healing joy he thought he'd lost forever.

Special features: A conversation on Grace; Inspiration for "Grace is gone"; Profile of TAPS, a Tragedy Assistance Program; Theatrical trailer.

87 minutes

During the U.S.-led occupation of Baghdad in 2003, Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller and his team of Army inspectors were dispatched to find weapons of mass destruction believed to be stockpiled in the Iraqi desert. Rocketing from one booby-trapped and treacherous site to the next, the men search for deadly chemical agents but stumble instead upon an elaborate cover-up that inverts the purpose of their mission.

115 minutes
Gunner palace 41919-D

In the world's most dangerous war zone, 400 American soldiers carry out their mission from a bombed-out pleasure palace once owned by Saddam Hussein. Welcome to a place called "Gunner Palace" and experience what life is like for the soldiers who live there. For these war hardened soldiers "minor combat" involves everything from executing raids on suspected terrorists, enduring roadside bombs and mortar attacks from an enemy they never see to post-raid parties around the palace pool. This is their story which shows a side of the war not seen on the nightly news.

87 minutes

Heavy metal in Baghdad 48059-D

"Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a documentary feature film that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda (Latin for a deadly black scorpion native to Iraq) from the fall of Saddam Hussein to their escape from Iraq"

Bonus material (88 min.): documentary featurette heavy metal in Istanbul; additional and deleted scenes; extended interviews with the band; live performance footage; movie trailer.

84 minutes

US Army Staff Sergeant Will James, Sergeant J.T. Sanborn and Specialist Owen Eldridge comprise the Bravo Company's bomb disposal unit stationed in Baghdad. James is the tech team leader. When James arrives on the scene, Bravo Company has thirty-nine days left on its current deployment. It will be a long thirty-nine days for Sanborn and Eldridge whose styles do not mesh with their new leader. James' thrill of the dismantlement seems to be the ultimate goal regardless of the safety of his fellow team members, others on the scene or himself. On the other hand, Sanborn is by the books: he knows his place and duty and trusts others in the army to carry out theirs as well as he. Eldridge is an insecure soldier who is constantly worried that an error or misjudgment on his part will lead to the death of an innocent civilian or a military colleague. While the three members face their own internal issues, they have to be aware of any person at the bomb sites, some of who may be bombers themselves.

131 minutes
Independent Intervention breaking silence 47813-D

Norwegian filmmaker Tonje Hessen Schei questions the American press' coverage of the war in Iraq, focusing especially on the negative influence of corporate media conglomerates and embedded war correspondents. Also explores the outsider-led media democracy movement.

Independent intervention -- Media and military -- Who owns the media? -- Embedded reporting -- Killing the messenger -- Reality of war -- On the ground -- Turning point -- Independent media.

76 minutes

Journalist Amy Goodman criticizes a pro-military bias of the corporate news media, whose reportage of the U.S. invasion of Iraq downplays or ignores the impact on civilians while overstating the success of U.S. military operations. She illustrates her points with clips of mainstream media juxtaposed with footage from independent reporters in Iraq. She argues that dialogue is vital to a healthy democracy, and that the commercial news media have failed to represent the "true face of war."

29 minutes
In the valley of Elah 46281-D

Hank, a retired Sergeant with the Military Police, receives a call informing him that his youngest son, Mike, has gone AWOL. He thought his son was in Iraq, but is informed that Mike returned stateside four days ago with his platoon. When he calls his son's cell phone and gets voice mail, he drives to Fort Rudd and begins to make inquiries, but with each inquiry he comes to a dead end. Then a body is found, dismembered and burned beyond recognition and is identified as Mike. Hank tries to find out what happened, but continues to encounter hurdles. Yet he is persistent, uncovering things no one wants to hear, including himself.

Special features: "In the valley of Elah: after Iraq" featurette; "In the valley of Elah: coming home" featurette; additional scenes.

121 minutes Closed Captioned

Documentary in three parts. Offers a series of intimate, passionately-felt portraits: A fatherless 11-year-old is apprenticed to the domineering owner of a Baghdad garage; Sadr followers in two Shiite cities rally for regional elections while enforcing Islamic law at the point of a gun; a family of Kurdish farmers welcomes the U.S. presence, which has allowed them a measure of freedom previously denied. American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites and Kurds.

225 minutes
Little birds 45127-D

DVD NTSC, region 2.

A Japanese film crew documents the first days of the war in Iraq in 2003. Live footage of bombings and interviews with people wounded and rendered homeless by the fighting.

The second disc contains additional information on the people from the first disc, a making of the film and interviews.

Originally broadcast as a segment of the television program Frontline on October 17, 2006; remote version viewed on October 21, 2006.

In the first weeks after the statue of Saddam Hussein fell, a group of young American bureaucrats led by Ambassador L. Paul Bremer III set off to establish democracy in Iraq. One year later, as Bremer made a secret exit to evade insurgent attacks, the group left behind a thriving insurgency, economic collapse and much of its idealism. Today, as America looks for an exit strategy, FRONTLINE examines the initial, critical decisions of the U.S.-led regime in Baghdad in The Lost Year in Iraq. From the same team that produced Rumsfeld's War, The Torture Question and The Dark Side, the film is based on more than 30 interviews, most of them with the officials charged with building a new and democratic Iraq.

1. Trouble ahead -- 2. The early weeks -- 3. First days on the job -- 4. Dissolving the Iraqi military -- 5. August '03 - Clear signs of an insurgency -- 6. Reining in Bremer -- 7. June '04 - Time to go home.

60 minutes