Comparison of Iraq War to the Algerian War of Independence
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There have been comparisons in public debate comparing the Iraq War to the Algerian War of Independence (1954-1962).[1] Henry Kissinger advised President George W. Bush read A Savage War of Peace (1977) from Alistair Horne about the Algerian War for advice on how to handle the war in Iraq.[2] In a CNN interview aired January 15, 2007 - 19:00 ET, Horne agreed to the comparison that "a major power is faced with an Arab insurgency that has targeted police, public servants, innocent civilians. All of that has preoccupied the Americans as it did the French."
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[edit] Pentagon screening of The Battle of Algiers
Pentagon officials visionned on August 27, 2003 Gillo Pontecorvo 1966 film, The Battle of Algiers.[3][4] In 2003, the film again made the news after the US Directorate for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict at The Pentagon offered a screening of the film on August 27, regarding it as a useful illustration of the problems faced in Iraq.[5]A flyer for the screening read:
- "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas. Children shoot soldiers at point-blank range. Women plant bombs in cafes. Soon the entire Arab population builds to a mad fervor. Sound familiar? The French have a plan. It succeeds tactically, but fails strategically. To understand why, come to a rare showing of this film."[6]
According to the Defense Department official in charge of the screening, "Showing the film offers historical insight into the conduct of French operations in Algeria, and was intended to prompt informative discussion of the challenges faced by the French."[7]
The 2003 screening lent new currency to the film, coming only months after U.S. President George W. Bush's May 1, 2003 "Mission Accomplished" speech proclaiming the end of "major hostilities" in Iraq. Opponents of President Bush cited the Pentagon screening as proof of a growing concern within the Defense Department about the growth of an Iraqi insurgency belying Bush's triumphalism.[citation needed] One year later, the media's revelations regarding the Abu Ghraib torture and prisoner abuse scandal lead critics of the war to compare French torture in the film and "aggressive interrogation" of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison[citation needed].
[edit] Notes
- ^ "The Situation Room" discussing similarity between Iraq and Algerian Wars - http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0701/15/sitroom.03.html
- ^ http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2007/01/21/bushs_history_lesson/
- ^ La direction des opérations spéciales du Pentagone organise une projection de « La Bataille d'Alger », Le Monde, September 9, 2003 (French)
- ^ The Pentagon's Lessons From Reel Life - 'Battle of Algiers' Resonates in Baghdad, The Washington Post, September 4, 2003 (English)
- ^ "Re-release of "The Battle of Algiers" Diplomatic License, CNN, January 1, 2004.
- ^ Michael T. Kaufman's "Film Studies" New York Times, 7 September, 2003.
- ^ Michael T. Kaufman's "Film Studies" New York Times, 7 September, 2003.
[edit] Bibliography
- Major Gregory D. Peterson, The French Experience in Algeria, 1954-62: Blueprint for U.S. Operations in Iraq, Ft Leavenworth, KS: School of Advanced Military Studies
[edit] See also
- Comparison of Iraq and Vietnam wars
- Torture during the Algerian War
- Comparison of Iraq War and World War 2
Categories: Articles to be expanded since February 2007 | All articles to be expanded | Articles with unsourced statements since February 2007 | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since January 2007 | 2003 Iraq conflict | Wars involving the United States | Algerian War | Military comparison
