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Control Room, directed by Egyptian-American filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, provides unique insights into the media dynamics on the eve of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. It primarily portrays the interactions between Al Jazeera journalists on the one hand and US military spokespersons and Western journalists on the other hand. Al Jazeera is a TV station largely funded by the Arab Emirate of Qatar, which has the politically most open system in the Emirates. It was initially hailed by Western commentators and the US government as exceptionally critical of Arab governments and the region’s most prominent outlet for free speech. When it reported on atrocities by the Algerian military, for example, the Algerian government decided to disconnect the electricity in the capital city of Algier to avert that ordinary Algerians would observe the grim accounts. Al Jazeera fell into disfavor with many rulers, as a consequence of which its licenses to broadcast and report have been canceled or otherwise thwarted in dozen countries. Contrary to popular perception, Al Jazeera was not chiefly at odds with Western government before the Iraq invasion.

The documentary commences with footage of Hassan Ibrahim conversing with ordinary Egyptians to convey a sense of the public opinion about the impending invasion on the “Arab Street”. It ends with the killing of two Al Jazeera journalists, residing in the Hotel Palestine, by a US missile attack. Widespread public opinion in Arab countries is that the attack was intentionally perpetrated to penalize journalists, who reported from the bombardments on the ground and were hence not embedded on the frontlines, which establishes more camaraderie between servicemen and—women on the one hand and journalists on the other hand and unswervingly prevents them from reporting on the situation of civilians. This view is informed by the fact that the two journalists killed, volunteered information on where they were staying to the Pentagon for their own security, and other journalists were attacked on the same day—yet this was resolutely refuted by Pentagon spokespersons, asserting that the attacks were accidental. Recent allegations by an Army whistleblower claiming he intercepted an e-mail containing the coordinates of the Hotel Palestine and that an attack on it was planned were articulated on the radio show Democracy Now! in May 2008. Because of these recently materialized allegations, as well as the detention, alleged torture and later release of Al Jazeera reporter Sami Al Haj because of a lack of evidence from Guantánamo Bay and the attacks on journalists by Iraqi insurgents, the film is of added relevance for those concerned about the state of world press freedom.

Control Room is appealing because of its multi-faceted characters, which seem to be constantly mired in conflicting group affiliations and moral predicaments. The film highlights this complexity skillfully and without portraying them as hypocritical or through an otherwise morally judgmental vantage point. Hassan Ibrahim, born in the Sudan and trained at US universities, epitomizes the entire Al Jazeera staff, which is unequivocally disparaging in regards to the invasion, often very resentful towards Arab governments, with a startlingly fervent admiration for US culture and the American political system. Many become self-conscious and culturally humiliated, regardless of the respective Arab country in which they were born, when the US invasion of an Arab country succeeded as fast as it did at the outset.

Another intriguing character is John Rushing, an army spokesperson. Initially, Mr. Rushing comes off as apologetic towards the invasion, and in the course of the events, confronted with heart-rending images and poignant discussions, becomes more and more understanding of the perspective of the Al Jazeera journalists, and more conscious about what the American press leaves out. The film does not mention that Mr. Rushing began working for the Al Jazeera English channel in 2005.

What I found most discomforting about the film, aside from images about the realities of war, is the portrayal of the habitué of the Western journalists, who seem rather unconcerned about the rationales for the war and the anguish of civilians, but wholly absorbed in criticizing the military for not having issued enough card decks featuring Iraqi regime apparatchiks. The film also explicates the frame of mind among journalists that led to the failures in confronting the Bush administration on the eve of the invasion, just by virtue of being a silent observer.

Control Room is a very introspective testimony of the 3rd Persian Gulf War and, as an excellent trajectory for grassroots activism, it is perfectly suited for discussions in peace groups, churches, etc. It can be watched for free online at www.freedocumentaries.org.

* Jonas Ecke is a Development Studies graduate student, recently returned from an internship with CARE in Ghana. He can be contacted at j_ecke@yahoo.com.