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Taxi To the Dark Side

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Having seen "Taxi to the Dark Side" nearly three weeks ago at a private screening in midtown Manhattan, my mind is still reeling from the harsh, brutal images of torture committed by United States soldiers against suspected terrorists and irregulars in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. This may be the most important documentary film on the "War on Terror", and while it is a liberal polemic film, it does an effective job of arguing its case by showing its graphic images, instead of having someone like filmmaker Michael Moore seen onscreen ranting and raving. The central saga which runs through the nearly two-hour long film is the last taxi ride of a young Afghan taxi driver, Dilawar, an innocent bystander who was picked up by American troops, tortured, and died from his severe injuries at the American detention center in Bagram, Afghanistan.

"Taxi to the Dark Side" deserves the ample recognition it has earned, and may be remembered as a superb documentary film in the tradition of Edward R. Murrow's "Harvest of Shame". But it isn't perfect for the following reasons. First it accepts as gospel truth, the fact that most of those being held by American soldiers in Afghanistan, Iraq and Cuba are as innocent as Dilawar was. Second it lacks more insightful analysis from the likes of noted military defense attorney Eugene Fidell, who represented my cousin, former U. S. Army chaplain James Yee (Much to my amazement, Yee's filmed testimony was not included at all in the final cut of this film.). Will "Taxi to the Dark Side" change the opinions of many? Hopefully it will force those who've seen it to ask serious, probing questions about inhumane treatment of prisoners by some American soldiers, and perhaps persuade them to convince the Federal political leadership in Washington, D. C. to act more aggressively to avert similar instances of prisoner mistreatment in the future.

quote from film, Cheney(working the "dark side") quote:
alot of what needs to be done here will have to be done quietly, without any discussion... to use any
means at our disposal.(end quote) Basically, the detainees ARE disposable actually seeing and hearing a
bout this in the press once the photos came out, and documentaries such as this one have been made.

The film focuses primarily on the interrogation practices(leading to deaths), especially following
how a taxi driver: Dilawar gets pulled into the hell of it all and what he and others went through
during their tortures at bagram. One man is seen on video smashing his head on a steel door to end
the torturing, both physical and psychological torture - leading to many of their deaths.

After seeing this documentary on the truths of what was going on, other questions begin to arise: what
was/is the responsibility of of Dick Cheney, Bush, Powell, Rumsfield? The superiors in charge of the
soldiers interrogating? The conscience of the soldiers performing these humiliating and beatings
leading to their deaths? Their manual for interrogation rules are pretty much: anything goes, out of
sight - out of mind, new rules neatly wrapped around propaganda. (war on terror cannot be defined,
it's ridiculous... it's propaganda to evoke emotion/fear). The Geneva Convention rules were thrown
out here at bagram, (and Guantanamo). Cheney's way of "spending time in the shadows" i guess, eh?

How many people taken into custody are really a threat or just people scape-goated out? Guilty by
association, then having no rights, no jury (i.e.-like we use in America) and then just tortured and
beaten to death After watching this, I felt angry and disgusted by our war profiteers in Washington.

Are Rumsfield, Bush, Cheney, and others in high command not the true definition of terrorists
highjacking the rights of americans, slowly destroying and re-writing the constitution in favor
of profit and power and deciding war policy which includes anything goes when it comes to human life -
as long as it pushes their own interests(money & power) forward? These are the questions i personally
asked myself after watching and absorbing this film. see it.

More than a third of the American public suspects that federal officials assisted in the 9/11 terrorist
attacks or took no action to stop them so the United States could go to war in the Middle East,
according to a new Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll.

"Be careful when you fight the monsters, lest you become one."
Friedrich Nietzsche

Well that quote came to mind as I watched this depressing 2007 Academy Award Winner directed by Alex Gibney (ENRON: THE SMARTEST GUYS IN THE ROOM -also excellent). This time Gibney explores America's journey into darkness that is the so-called "war on terror" (BTW people, when you hear the words "war on" before anything you can bet it is a total disaster.). I was reminded of Nietzsche's warning and then of other lines from that great source of dark and enigmatic quotations..."Man is the cruelest animal." "Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule." But back to the first quote, I think the men that got us into this situation already were nihilistic, souless beasts and so hardly did much changing. What we should realize is that *they changed America.* I am well aware of America's "mistakes" and sins of the past but things are different now... and many of us feel it. On top of that -and more importantly- sadly many, all too many, of the people they chased after weren't monsters at all, but just people. Regular people in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Take the story of "a young rural Afghan cabdriver", named Dilawar. Turned out he was falsely accused of helping to plan an attack on American troops. Dilawar was tortured for about two days and died. He is presented here as "the first fatal victim of Vice President Dick Cheney's devotion to 'working the dark side'--torturing, humiliating, and otherwise abusing prisoners in the 'Global War on Terror.'" We are told his story by the very soldiers that killed Dilwar, themselves shown to both tools and victims of the implementation of the Bush policy. And we hear from two New York Times investigative reporters who do a fine job of exposing this darker side of American power -- a darker side the New York Times I cannot help but remember helped in their ways to bring us to.-- Ohhh I hope you are aware of that?! You didn't forget did you? That drum beat for war was pounding so very loudly at the NYT. The name Judith Miller ring a bell? Well, she's just *one* of 'em. The whole mainstream media let us down and let us NEVER FORGET it. The film also details what methods are used in torturing prisoners: you won't ever let a right-winger or Rush Limbaugh "Dittohead" trivialize torture and Abu Graibh and the prsion camp at Guantánamo.

Buy this or at least rent it and get others to see it too. While it is depressing it is fascinating to anyone with any interest in foreign policy and concern for our country and it's future. It is NOT to be dismissed as a mere anti-Republican, anti-Bush diatribe à la Michael Moore. This is an objective, sober documentary about a subject every American absolutely regardless of where they stand on the political spectrum should be in touch with and have intimate knowledge of. It is our business what our government does in our name and the blood is not only on their hands.

About the only nice thing you can say about this administration after viewing this film is that you could probably not have made a similar expose about the treatment of prisoners in concentration camps in Nazi Germany during WWII. Still, it's a shame that we have to look to Nazi Germany to find a government that treated its enemies more despicably or a society more complacent about the heinous crimes committed by their government in their name.

This documentary should be required viewing for all U.S. citizens. It certainly does shine a light upon the "dark side" and reveals the despicable values to which our government has descended. As a veteran, all I can say is that this trashing of constitutional rights and values is NOT what I risked my life for when I enlisted!

This documentary digs into the heart of world-wide practices on torture and imprisonment, but specifically addresses the death of an innocent taxi driver in Afghanistan who was tortured and killed by American soldiers. This film tells the story of what led up to Abu Ghraib, and it does not hold any details back. This story is not for the faint of heart, or for those who want their wars to be black and white. It is a worthwhile watch, not only to learn this man's story--which was the case with many who were imprisoned--but of those soldiers under orders to commit crimes and of the military that abandoned them when the secrets were found out.

Chilling account of how this country has been led to the precipice without even a peep from members congress of both parties.Taxi To the Dark Side

I have to hang my head in utter disgust. I'm ashamed of my country, my military, and my government. The only thing I can say proudly is some of them are doing the same.

This government sanctioned torture is on display for the world to see. We go to other countries to show them how great we are, how wonderful democracy is... why can't they see it's the right way? Here are a number of good reasons why.

After the mounting situation in North Korea, I'm sure many of us are starting to stand up and think we may have been concerned about the wrong enemy for a long time. I've seen more reasons in the last six months to show concern over a foreign power than in twenty years of middle eastern conflicts.

Oil - plain and simple. That's what this situation is all about. The government is using terrorism as a facade to line its wallet.

If we are fighting a war against terrorism - an unseen enemy that is desperate, suicidal, and religously motivated - there is no sense in this type of incarceration. Nothing can be gained. I wouldn't trust the information I would receive anyway. Either let these people go or just shoot them execution style... in comparison to this it would be humane.

I often complain about the lopsidedness of documentaries. And more often than not, whenever I mention this, people pepper me with insults because they believe "that's what documentaries are designed to do." I beg to differ. Let me show you what I mean.

There are some seriously stilted documentaries that look at one side (and ONLY one side) of an issue and never give credence to the other. How about an interview with someone who opposes the views that the documentarians are putting forth? How about some information that might refute what is being told? This one-sidedness is just too easy to find. Things like After Innocence, The Future of Food, and Religulous are prime examples (there are tons more but I don't have the time nor inclination to mention them).

Occasionally - if not extremely rarely - a documentary will come along that allows both sides to speak. And such is the case with the Academy Award winner TAXI TO THE DARK SIDE.

The story starts and ends with the murder of Dilawar, a taxi cab driver in Afghanistan who is mistakenly picked up by U.S. forces and sent to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for interrogation. Once there, he soon dies from injuries sustained at the hands of his captors. The middle of this documentary is the meat and potatoes of what went horribly wrong with the U.S.'s war on terror. It's a serious eye-opener. Not because it focuses on the problems the U.S. had with its detainees after 9/11, but because it allows everyone to speak about the successes and failures of torture. Yes, torture.

From the men on the ground (staff sergeants and privates) to the President's advisory attorney at the U.S. Dept. of Justice (John Woo), we get to hear from just about everyone on the topic of the incarcerated detainees and their treatment at the hands of untrained and unprepared interrogators. It is astonishing, too, to learn that not a single person above the rank of sergeant was punished for the death of Dilawar (nor any other detainee who was abused). You mean to tell me that these grunts were responsible for ...everything? Give me a break!

I don't delude myself any longer. The U.S. (either overtly or covertly) now uses "enhanced interrogation techniques" (e.g. torture). Make no doubt about it. We do it because we want to protect ourselves. But at what cost to our own moral compass? We claim to follow The Geneva Convention, but do we? Not as far as I can tell. And don't take my word for it. Watch ALL of the people in this documentary talk about this very subject and come to your own conclusions.

This was an excellent documentary. The film covered the United States' recent torture of civilian population in the Afghanistan and Iraq areas as well as the Guantanamo Bay detainees. Be warned, this documentary has some very graphic material, such as images of men being forces to masturbate and other types of psychological torture.
I found the movie to be pretty consistent with what I have read, it is really the polar opposite of such feel good stories such as "Three Cups of Tea." If you want to be informed about the side of American politics and military that they DON'T want you to see then watch this movie. It also may lends some understanding as to why the people of the Middle East hate Americans so much.