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Monday 13 July 2009

Getting to grips with Afghanistan



A very useful, enlightening documentary about Afghanistan - produced by John Rees for the Islam Channel - is now available to view online. It, unfortunately, turns out to be extremely timely, with the death toll for British soldiers in Afghanistan rising and a growing sense of paralysis for the occupying forces.



The Timeline format appears to involve going back in history to trace the roots of a current hot political issue - this is evidently well suited to a political, military and human disaster that is both acutely contemporary and rooted in a complex history. Where news media give us (partial) snapshots of a dislocated present, this documentary genuinely illuminates the present by placing it in context. Though the subject matter is grim, this makes a refreshing change.

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