Ever since the 1980s, when a suicide bomber blew up up U.S. Embassy in Beirut, Baer has been trying to figure out who did it and, probably, why. This documentary is his journey into the cult of "martyrdom," looking at its origins in Iran and its spread through Lebanon, Israel, the Gaza Strip, and now virtually everywhere. I found the doc very informative, offering interviews with people only Baer could get an audience with - such as the thousands of prisoners in Israeli prisons and several key suicide bomber organizers. As the previous reviewer said, Baer has some real courage to be in some of these places, particularly Hezbollah controlled areas and Iran where people are shouting "death to America." It's also interesting to go inside of those countries to see for ourselves the kind of propaganda that's everywhere, such as a myriad of posters of suicided bombers. The doc raises several important questions, including how can countries that value their lives counter countries that don't? It's almost like the harikari pilots all over again. What's more, they feel glorified in death, and become instant heroes when they die. Parents happily sign authorization forms for them to become merchants of suicide. Watching it, you'll stare ahead with your mouth open in disbelief. In fact, it kind of reminds me of serial killers, who claim they killed more people than they did because of the prestige. Suicide bombing is a growing threat to everyone, and I think this film sheds a bit of much needed light on the subject. Keep up the good work Baer. Love to see more.
7 Reviews
Well worth seeing if anything for a couple of powerful scenes
mike-123013 August 2006
First off I am a big fan of Robert Baer. I have read all of his books and enjoy listening to his commentary whenever he gets called on to be a talking head on the news networks. So I was quite excited to find this doc on the torrents. Not the best documentary in the world, but certainly well worth seeing. It's a bit rough around the edges for sure, but I think with a few more docs under his belt he will hopefully develop his skill more. If anything, its worth seeing just for the scenes in Iran where standing on a side stage, prone to an audience of thousands, the cleric in the mosque is calling for the death to America. Holy crap! That's guts to stand there with literally thousands of people chanting for the death of you and your country.
Sad, I din't mean the movie
ashwin-siva7 November 2006
The documentary, if it is factual and accurate, explains the plight of today's World. It is quite well-paced and it captures the emotions and motives of the suicide bombers and their families. Robert Baer needs to be congratulated for his courage. The scenes depicted in the film were heart-wrenching and pathetic. An entire generation of people have been duped into believing that suicide bombing is the pathway to martyrdom and salvation. However, I am not even trying to blame anyone for this, since it would point to a vicious cycle of blame games. I am not sure of the solution to this problem. But, I can clearly see the reason behind all these problems, Religion. Religion can be a very deceptive tool used by certain people to carry out their interests. The film shows how young kids look up to these suicide bombers as their heroes. I don't see any light ahead of the tunnel, if the cult of the suicide bomber is allowed to sustain and breed.
Brilliant investigation
thisisthis25 July 2007
Cult of the Suicide Bomber stands as one of the best documentaries of the last 10 years along with the Power of Nightmares and Bowling for Columbine. The number one thing that makes this great is the access: you get to hear in their own words the thoughts of the failed suicide bombers as well as the families and recruiters of those that were successful. Baer has a laconic, Philip Marlowe delivery and you can tell that this is a subject he his passionate about and willing to take great risks to his safety to explore. Atmospheric, challenging and a rare example of really intelligent television. One criticism is that it would take more than the two programmes so far to actually get to the bottom of this phonomenon and in that sense it is a partial account. Watch it as it is really worthwhile but also read up afterwards.
Absorbing historical overview of the evolution of suicide bombing as a weapon in the middle east.
runamokprods12 November 2011
The film makes some thought provoking moral distinctions between suicide bombing as a weapon of war for those without access to high tech weaponry (e.g. would it really be so different if a fighter dropped a bomb on the military convoy from a plane instead of attached to his chest?) and as a weapon of terror used against civilians.
It also does not deny that some who have used it as a weapon have done so after suffering heavy losses from others, instead of simply reducing them to crazy people acting in an irrational vacuum.
It traces the roots of martyrdom in Islam back 1400 years, and explains how that history was twisted by the leaders in Iran to justify suicide bombings in spite of strict Islamic laws against suicide.
Yet, in spite of the intensity and complexity of the subject, the dramatic, sometimes upsettingly graphic footage, and the somewhat over the top music, it starts to get a little repetitive and flat.
And it curiously ignores other historical suicide bombings, like the Japanese Kamikaze WWII pilots, declaring that suicide bombing was "invented" by Iran in the war with Iraq.
It also does not deny that some who have used it as a weapon have done so after suffering heavy losses from others, instead of simply reducing them to crazy people acting in an irrational vacuum.
It traces the roots of martyrdom in Islam back 1400 years, and explains how that history was twisted by the leaders in Iran to justify suicide bombings in spite of strict Islamic laws against suicide.
Yet, in spite of the intensity and complexity of the subject, the dramatic, sometimes upsettingly graphic footage, and the somewhat over the top music, it starts to get a little repetitive and flat.
And it curiously ignores other historical suicide bombings, like the Japanese Kamikaze WWII pilots, declaring that suicide bombing was "invented" by Iran in the war with Iraq.
Want to know the seeds of terrorism? Baer is the man
cormac_zoso12 June 2013
Warning: Spoilers
Robert Baer is the expert, at least the one that speaks publicly, on Middle Eastern terrorism ... it's seeds, it's growth, and it's function. Baer is a veteran of over two decades of the 'quiet war' that is constantly waged by the US intelligence community in various theatres across the planet. The Middle East being the most important because of the oil that is in play there.
I won't go into everything the documentary covers since it is a dense and overflowing documentary, simply packed with info that more than one viewing is needed to really get the gist of Baer's tutelage. If you want to know what's what, this is a good introduction.
By the way, I'd point to Baer's being cut-off obviously and purposefully on 911 as he went into the true program we'd just witnessed the beginning to. When he started explaining to the interviewer that what was being pointed to as 'molten metal' running out of the Twin Towers while they were burning as proof of the heat of the flames, Baer told them they were wrong, said it was either thermate or thermite which is used to cut the steel beams and collapse the buildings ... and zap ... see ya. The terrorist hijackers couldn't have done this so that wasn't part of the agenda and so Baer was gone. Good luck finding the tape ... good luck finding Baer on TV where he isn't being talked over and simply used for a right-wing commentator to call him a lefty conspiracy nut.
Baer has it right ... Baer knows ... read and watch Baer.
I won't go into everything the documentary covers since it is a dense and overflowing documentary, simply packed with info that more than one viewing is needed to really get the gist of Baer's tutelage. If you want to know what's what, this is a good introduction.
By the way, I'd point to Baer's being cut-off obviously and purposefully on 911 as he went into the true program we'd just witnessed the beginning to. When he started explaining to the interviewer that what was being pointed to as 'molten metal' running out of the Twin Towers while they were burning as proof of the heat of the flames, Baer told them they were wrong, said it was either thermate or thermite which is used to cut the steel beams and collapse the buildings ... and zap ... see ya. The terrorist hijackers couldn't have done this so that wasn't part of the agenda and so Baer was gone. Good luck finding the tape ... good luck finding Baer on TV where he isn't being talked over and simply used for a right-wing commentator to call him a lefty conspiracy nut.
Baer has it right ... Baer knows ... read and watch Baer.
The typical western vision about the middle east
spartan_diablo8 November 2006
first of all i don't believe in the conspiracy theory..but i can not understand the 'intentional' repeated view to the Arabic and/or Muslim as a prepared terrorist from the first moment in his life instead of crying to breath he said death to America. well am not defending my people but i think we need some justice here. all the hate you see in the movie not because of the Islamic clerks control..or the Islamic barbarian nature -as they want you to think-it's simply a reaction for 54 years struggle to get the Palestinian rights back. we can accept Israel as a neighbor..but in return we can't accept that every Arabian house has a victim. the story as in many previous movies & in media told from the end not the start ..if you set back & relax & put it in the action &reaction contest you will be able to figure the general idea of the ultimate fighting is about. another question after all what happen in occupied Palestine is military resistance.. so why all the media & obviously the movie maker insist on covering it from an Islamic point of view while in regard to the brutal fights like in Latin America it's about the liberty & getting red of corruption. as long as the 'western world'keep suffering from myopia in the case of the Arabic character view no one can predict what the ship that carry us all in the unrest future sea where it will land.
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