Control+Room

Control Room directed by Jehane Noujaim

//** Read the table below to find your focus question(s). **// //** Click 'Edit' (top right hand corner of this page) **// //** Click your cursor into the cell below your question(s) and add your findings (type, or paste). **// //** Click 'Save' (top right hand corner of this page) **// http://www.buzzfeed.com/andrewkaczynski/this-is-how-newspapers-covered-the-start-of-the-iraq-war-ten || But the costs have been immense. More than 4,400 Americans died in the fighting, as have more than 100,000 Iraqi civilians. A mission originally priced at $50 billion has swelled to more than $800 billion. In Iraq, corruption has deepened, as have sectarian rifts. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/iraq-war-on-terror/the-iraq-war-is-over-now-w ||
 * What is 'Western Imperialism'? ||
 * Imperialism: An unequal human and territorial relationship, usually in the form of an EMPIRE, based on ideas of superiority ... Derived from the Latin word imperium ('sovereign authority'), imperialism is closely affiliated with COLONIALISM. The dictionary of human geography 1. The policy of extending a nation's authority by territorial acquisition or by the establishment of economic and political hegemony over other nations. 2. The system, policies, or practices of such a government [] ||
 * What makes Fox News so notorious/controversial? ||
 * What was the 'ultimatum' delivered by George W. Bush to Saddam Hussein, which led to war? ||
 * George W Bush gave Saddam Hussein an ultimatum to leave the United States within 48 hours to avoid a U.S invasion, otherwise he would've been killed. ||
 * When did the 'US-led war in Iraq' start? What started it? ||
 * War broke out between Iraq and the US in the early 1900's when World War I finished and the two main culprits for the war, Iraq and the US were nearly completely depleted of resources. The US decided that the best way to recover these resources was through the process of a longer, more devastating war, which has continued on to this very day. ||
 * What was the (official) original purpose in going to war? ||
 * Talking the nation to war, President Bush said the conflict in Iraq may be long and difficult but the US troops will succeed at their mission "to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder," the president said in an Oval Office address a little more than two hours after 8.p.m. ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to give up power.
 * Talking the nation to war, President Bush said the conflict in Iraq may be long and difficult but the US troops will succeed at their mission "to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger. The people of the United States and our friends and allies will not live at the mercy of an outlaw regime that threatens the peace with weapons of mass murder," the president said in an Oval Office address a little more than two hours after 8.p.m. ultimatum for Saddam Hussein to give up power.
 * Is the war over? When? If not, why not? ||
 * What has been the outcome of the war (so far)? ||
 * A decade later, the legacy of the Iraq war remains far from settled. Saddam Hussein is gone, replaced by a democratically elected government.
 * A decade later, the legacy of the Iraq war remains far from settled. Saddam Hussein is gone, replaced by a democratically elected government.
 * How much money has the war cost? How many lives have been lost? ||
 * How did US citizens feel about the war? ||
 * Nearly six in ten US citizens say it was a mistake to start the battle in the first place, and most say their country did not accomplish its objectives in Iraq.Only one in five say the war was worth the loss of life and other costs that came with it. Seventy-two percent say the war was not worth it. The opinions of households with Iraq veterans mirror the opinions of all Americans on this question.
 * Nearly six in ten US citizens say it was a mistake to start the battle in the first place, and most say their country did not accomplish its objectives in Iraq.Only one in five say the war was worth the loss of life and other costs that came with it. Seventy-two percent say the war was not worth it. The opinions of households with Iraq veterans mirror the opinions of all Americans on this question.

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 * What happened to key figures from the documentary, such as Josh Rushing? ||
 * Josh Rushing, former Marine captain and an accidental star of the movie Control Room made news of his own last week when he signed on to become the American face of the controversial Arab news network Al Jazeera-International. Top U.S. officials, including Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, have repeatedly complained that Al Jazeera's coverage is unfair or untrue [|http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1110008,00.html][|He] also wrote a book or something. ||
 * What happened to George W. Bush as a result of the war in Iraq? ||
 * yolo ||
 * What happened to Donald Rumsfeld as a result of the war in Iraq? ||
 * Donald Rumsfeld served in the administrations of presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and George W. Bush . Following the September 11, 2001, attacks, Rumsfeld oversaw the U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan that resulted in the overthrow of the Taliban. The Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein was also toppled, and he initially earned praise for his handling of the war but resigned in 2006 after much criticism. Source: http://www.biography.com/people/donald-rumsfeld-9466907 He returned to the Pentagon in 2001, becoming the 21st Secretary of Defense. After the attacks on the U.S. in 2001, Rumsfeld directed forces in an attack on Afghanistan and was a vigorous proponent of invading Iraq to topple Saddam Hussein (2003). He also became a familiar face on television as a spokesman for U.S. military forces. When success in Iraq was slow in coming, critics -- both civilian and military -- piled on Rumsfeld. The day after the 2006 midterm elections gave Democrats control of the House of Representatives, Bush announced Rumsfeld's resignation, apparently in response to the increasing unpopularity of the war in Iraq. Rumsfeld stepped down officially in December of 2006 and was replaced by Robert Gates, a former C.I.A director (1991-93). Source: http://www.infoplease.com/biography/var/donaldrumsfeld.html In other words, Donald Rumsfeld resigned from his position as Secretary of Defense due to pressure of critics who were onlookers on the war in Iraq. ||

When creating your written commentary paragraphs, follow the DEC structure (example below).

GREEN: Presenting my ideas about a specifc technique ORANGE: Making a link between this part of the extract and another part of the documentary as a whole.

Watch 'Control Room' online, in full.

Making links beyond your chosen extracts...  Click the links below to learn more about the director of Control Room, the issues raised in the documentary, Al Jazeera, or the way the film was critically received when it was released. Interview with director + producer, as seen in class A large range of critical reveiws of the documentary, demonstrating how it was received in America (mainly).