Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
Bodyguard of Lies
Using film clips of the war zone and interviews with retired officials and military personnel, Bodyguard of Lies shatters our understanding of the Afghan War. Dan Krauss’ documentary presents a perspective on issues relating to the war that four administrations accountable for them never publicly addressed accurately.
The film reviews the haplessness of the various administrations in the face of the losing proposition of this war. The initial cause of the war in Iraq and later the war in Afghanistan – the terror attacks of 9/11 – swirls in controversy to this day. Truth? Conspiracies? Misinformation? Krauss chips away at the bulwark of lies.
Candid Testimony About Costs and Failures
Through video testimony and documents the film exposes the gross and unnecessary losses of life (soldiers, contractors, Afghan civilians) as well as the $2 trillion-plus price tag for keeping a useless war going.
Former insiders give candid accounts of systemic deception. The various administrations, officials, and high commands in the military knew they had no viable way of winning, yet they persisted. The lessons of the Vietnam War had taught this generation nothing. But they did learn that money could be made. So the political benefit of war, “donor dollars,” primed the appropriations pump.
In this scenario dating back to Vietnam, corporations and Republican and Democratic politicos reaped the rewards. Who paid? Naturally, U.S. citizens paid higher taxes on the debt funding the war, not mention the sacrifice of sons and daughters killed and maimed. And then there is the little-discussed fallout in the form of the 17 to 22 veteran suicides a day. Unfortunately Krauss doesn’t highlight the number of suicides among returning vets, the most tragic casualties of all.
Keeping America’s Longest War Going
Various administrations gave justifications for the American presence in Afghanistan. Clearly, defense contractors made money a key mission. Schools and other infrastructure were built because schools were supposed to be able to foster Afghans’ acceptance of democracy. Once again, officials and advisors had no idea that pushing a political system on a culturally disparate country wouldn’t work.
Faulty Understanding, Poor Planning
The Americans didn’t understand the country’s tribal governance, leading to organizational chaos regarding what and where to build. Upon building schools, for example, no viable attempts followed to hire and maintain staff, create the curriculum, select the children, and encourage attendance. So American contractors built buildings that now crumble in disuse.
Poor planning and lack of understanding of the culture and the geography created insurmountable obstacles. Though many realized this early on, the lies, misinformation, and manipulation of the American public continued. To continue the money flow to contractors, politicians claimed that success and prosperity were coming to Afghanistan. Instead, the truth faltered in the dust.
Accountability for the Afghanistan War Disaster Isn’t Coming
In retrospect, have these acts of treachery against U.S. voters spurred accountability for the politicians and administrators who maintained the war? Sadly they has not. Meanwhile, our soldiers paid the ultimate price and Americans still pay off the debts with taxes and inflation, while the wealthy pay lower taxes thanks to the Bush and Trump administrations.
Confidential documents, insider testimonies, and leaked audio recordings create a clear picture of massive institutional failure through deception – burying reports and covering up the truth. According to Krauss, the United States has never waged a war campaign that the American public knows less about. For 20 years, across four presidential administrations, top public officials, presidents, and military leaders emphatically said victory shone around the next corner. With confidence acted out for the cameras, they proclaimed that soldiers’ deaths and injuries and monetary sacrifices were yielding meaningful progress. Despite all evidence to the contrary, they assured us we were witnessing the birth of a bright, new democracy. They knew better.
The Horrific Aftermath, and More Lies
Horrifically, when President Trump and Secretary of State Pompeo allegedly made a deal with the Taliban to receive money, a cataclysm took place. First, Trump in effect pardoned 5,000 Taliban terrorists. Second, he stipulated the removal of U.S. troops at an early date, along with the removal of NATO forces and equipment, and the end of air strikes. Outrageously, Trump stipulated this without the participation of the Afghan government. His disastrous deal goes down in history as one of the worst to create destruction. He caused deaths among Afghans who had befriended and helped the Americans. Trump’s terrible negotiating blunders allowed the easy overthrow of the Afghan government.
Though Krauss doesn’t include this in the film, the deceptions continue. Trump worked his horrific Doha Agreement to his and the Republicans’ advantage. In the ensuing chaos Trump beat the drum 24/7 that President Biden was responsible for the terrible exit. Republicans said Biden should resign. Biden had actually extended Trump’s date for troop withdrawal to August, giving the U.S. more time to prepare and exit. Still Trump’s gaslighting serves a purpose. No one asks about the money that allegedly exchanged hands between Trump, Pompeo, and the Taliban.
As an ironic sidelight of Krauss’ work, the film reveals how a craven, amoral, death-dealing political culture employed a bulwark of lies and acts of corruption to get what they wanted – money. As an object lesson in how to perpetrate and perpetuate lies to make money, Bodyguard of Lies can join the pantheon of books and films that attest to how indecency and wickedness work to make war. Would that such evil could be prevented.
Bodyguard of Lies is another film to see. Look for it on streaming platforms.
