'Dirty Wars' is a study of national security practices that need exposing
Documentarian Richard Rowley鈥檚 鈥淒irty Wars鈥� brings to startling light the investigatory digging of 鈥淣ation鈥� journalist Jeremy Scahill, best known for his 2007 bestseller 鈥淏lackwater: The Rise of the World鈥檚 Most Powerful Mercenary Army.鈥� (A book version of 鈥淒irty Wars鈥� was published in April.)
Utilizing Scahill as first-person narrator and on-camera presence, the film delves into Washington鈥檚 sub-radar national security policy and the larger covert war being carried out by the Joint Special Operations Command in countries like Yemen and Somalia, where no official war has been declared. The military strikes, more than 1,700 in number, are unauthorized by Congress. I wish Rowley didn鈥檛 so often dabble in standard movie-thriller-style stylistics, but his film is an expos茅 of practices that need 鈥� demand 鈥� exposing. Grade: A- (Unrated.)
