"The Jihadist" (2021 release; 55 min.) is a documentary about former al-Qaeda commander Abu Mohammed al-Jolani and his supposed new thinking and position towards the US and the West in general. As the documentary opens, we are given a quick glimpse as to the incredibly complex situation in the Middle East, and Syrica in particular, with multiple conflicting interests and competing political sectarian and military interests. We then go back in time to trace the rise of al-Jolani (born in 1982).
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from Martin Smith, the veteran reporter and film maker with a proven track record going back decades, and truly of of the best in the business in particular as it relates to the never-ending conflicts within the Middle East. Here he brings a fascinating look at one of the worst of the worst terrorists this world has ever seen, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, who never thought twice about killing innocent civilians (including women and children) if that would advance his overall interests. In an exclusive interview with Martin Smith, al-Jolani now claims that his real beef is not with the US or the West, but that it is with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. It is of course impossible to know whether this is true, or whether it is simply the latest posturing of a seasoned and ruthless terrorist. How could anyone take this man on his word one way or another? Setting aside that issue for a moment, this documentary is another powerful reminder of the devastating and outright disastrous consequences resulting from the US invasion of Iraq, without any clear game plan on what to do once Saddam Hussein's regime was overthrown. It has led to the destabilization of the entire Middle East, and now 18 years later, there still is no end in sight. The Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq (on the now debunked basis that it held "weapons of mass destruction") is the WORST geo-political decision of the last 50 years, period. And one for which we continue to pay the price to this very day.
"The Jihadist" aired this week as part of the long-running PBS franchise Frontline. It is now available on PBS On Demand and other streaming services, and will soon also be available on DVD. If you have any interest in understanding what is going on in the Middle East, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.