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thedrifter
10-13-09, 09:51 AM
television | Joanne Ostrow
"Frontline" dissects Afghan quagmire
Joanne Ostrow
The Denver Post

In Afghanistan, the surge is on, at least in terms of media coverage.

To commemorate eight years of war in Afghanistan this month, a number of high-profile network correspondents and anchors have made the trek recently to report from the country that has proved so difficult for media and military alike.

With the White House considering bumping up the number of troops there, and with a number of pundits weighing in against getting mired in another unwinnable situation (quagmire is the favored term), this subject should be enough to knock Jon and Kate out of the headlines for a moment.

In spite of regular reports of casualties and kidnappings of international journalists, a long list of reporters have chosen to be embedded with troops or to accompany brass on visits to Afghanistan. Among them: CNN's Anderson Cooper; CBS's Katie Couric, Lara Logan, David Martin, Terry McCarthy and Scott Pelley; ABC's Nick Shiffrin and others; and NBC's Richard Engel, whose award-winning "Tip of the Spear" report was updated this week with additional coverage. Fox News has Casey Stegall embedded with the Air Force there.

Tonight it's PBS's turn.

Just weeks after the deaths of eight soldiers from a Fort Carson unit in Afghanistan, the very least we can do is vicariously share an hour with the troops on the ground.

A strong season premiere for PBS's "Frontline" places the viewer in the midst of the seemingly impossible task of counterinsurgency, on the ground, tagging along with troops, at times pinned down with no cover. The film includes some difficult moments — including the death of a U.S. Marine, shot in the neck while the camera looks on — and some of the most jaw- dropping war footage on record.

"Obama's War" premieres at 9 tonight on KRMA-Channel 6.

A disclaimer at the start warns of graphic language and imagery. After a half-hour or so, you may find yourself cursing along with the Marines during an ambush by an invisible enemy.

The goal is to connect with the people, to present a human (not too heavily armed) face, according to the counterinsurgency doctrine. But, the film shows, in many cases the people have vanished, possibly tipped off by the Taliban.

"Counter-insurgency sounded a lot easier back in Washington," the voice-over notes.

Cut to a high-level security conference, full of well-meaning strategists and big thinkers, including Central Command head Gen. David Petraeus.

Producers Martin Smith ("Beyond Baghdad," "Return of the Taliban") and Marcela Gaviria ("In Search of al Qaeda") aren't pushing an agenda, they're just revealing how messy the current situation, the long-range goal and the history are.

This is a war about personal relationships, according to Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander in Afghanistan. McChrystal talks about lessons learned in Iraq and tells "Frontline" that more troops are needed.

His point is that they need to be taught how to interact with the local population. (If you've been watching Jon Stewart on "The Daily Show," you know all about McChrystal's grueling personal sleeping/eating/working standards. Apparently, the guy is a machine.)

McChrystal has been arguing for a strategy that would shift troops to more populated village centers rather than keep them isolated on bases, where they are meant to fight insurgents in the outlying areas. Just two weeks ago, insurgents struck two bases on the Pakistani border, killing the eight Americans from Fort Carson and four Afghan security officers in the deadliest attack for American soldiers in more than a year.

Afghanistan, "graveyard of empires," requires our attention. And "Frontline" delivers, as usual.

Changing jobs

Steve Saunders, longtime KMGH anchor-reporter, begins work this week as director of communications and community relations for Adams County School District 50.

"There is interesting life after television news and journalism," Saunders says.

Jim Hooley, former veteran of KMGH, says he's "beating the bushes" while doing freelance video. Another Channel 7 alum still looking for work: Hendrik Sybrandy.

Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com

Ellie