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MUMBAI: It now seems almost impossible to imagine a world
without the threat of terrorism. Terrorist groups and their
motives have become a cause of tension in many countries.
Infotainment channels Discovery and National Geographic will
both air shows tackling the theme of terror next month. It
is timely as next month marks the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
There is also a certain amount of similarity in their terror
content. Both channels will show episodes that look at the psychology
of the London bombers for instance. Both also look at the Moscow
siege when Chechen rebels invaded an auditorium in Moscow as
well as the Madrid train bombings which showed the world that
Islamic fundamentalism had found a new target.
Let's start with what Discovery has on its plate. The channel
will air the series Terror Strikes from 1-11 September at
9 pm. The show will bring to viewers the devastating effects
of terrorism. Viewers will discover the truth behind suicide
bombers, murders, sieges and nerve agent attacks. The first
episode is called 7/7 Bombers - A Psychological Investigation.
It looks at the minds of the London terrorist attackers who
planted explosives in the metro rail last year.
The show reveals the fact terrorists are psychologically
very different from serial killers. One can be normal and
still do terrible things. The attackers were all second generation
immigrants. So they might be confused about their identity.
The attackers were also social creatures who were close to
each other. So even if one member did not completely agree
with the plan he still went along with it.
Another episode Munich: The Real Assassins uncovers
the truth about the Israeli government's sponsored revenge
plan to track down those responsible for the murder of Israeli
athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Moscow Siege is a forensic
examination of this siege that was handled in 2002. Chechen
rebels took an auditorium holding a play hostage. The siege
led to 171 deaths and 922 hostages.
Fittingly enough the last two episodes look at 9/11.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of those events.
One episode is called The Flight that Fought Back.
This recreates the fatal flight of United 936 when brave Americans
rose and fought their attackers. While the hijackers tried
to act as though this was a routine hijacking some passengers
came to know about the two planes that rammed into the twin
towers. The efforts of the passengers on Flight 93 ensured
that the plane simply crashed into the ground and that it
did not reach its intended target. Another episode is called
Last Hour of Flight 11. This follows the hour that
starts at 7:46 am and ends with Flight 11 hitting the twin
tower.
NGC meanwhile kicks off Nat Geo Investigates Terrorism
from 11 September to 22 September at 10 pm. So viewers can
enjoy and learn from a combined three weeks of terror themed
programming on both channels. The ten-part series aims to
peel away the layers and reveal the inside story of the deadliest
terrorist attacks in the world - the people, the planning,
the use of technology to give viewers a closer understanding
of the evolving face of a new global power - terrorists.
Through this series NGC aims to make viewers more aware and
inspire the spirit of 'India - Fight Back'. Speaking about
the series NGC India senior VP programming Joy Bhattacharjya
said, "Its world war three and each one of us are on
the frontline. To defeat them first we must understand them
and that's what our series, 'Nat Geo Investigates: Terrorism'
focuses on. The series covers various acts of terrorism that
shook the world and tells the story from the perspective of
people on the inside.
Through this series we want to make our viewers rethink the
motives of these terrorists and understand the machinations
of their minds. Our message through this series is that India
must fight back by being more alert, aware and responsible."
Intertwining real footage, interviews of survivors and a
first-hand account from a potential suicide bomber, Nat
Geo Investigates: Terrorism provides an in-depth look
at global terrorism today. The series features a special four-part
mini-series called 'Inside 9/11' marking five years of the
tragedy and also includes episodes like Bio Terror Alert,
Suicide Web, Hostage TV and Al Qaeda Calling which
showcase the sophisticated techniques adopted by terrorist
organisations. The series also showcases a first ever feature
programme on the Kandahar episode, 'IC 814 Hijack', which
brought what was till then seen as an international phenomenon
to our doorsteps - terrorism!
The first episode is called Bin Laden's Spy In America.
The two hour special will showcase how Mohammad survived more
than 14 years as Al Qaeda's chief mole inside the U.S. How
he coordinated the movements of Bin Laden in and out of Afghanistan
and how he helped plan the terrorist operation in Somalia.
Inside 9/11 meanwhile follows the footsteps of terrorists
as they formulated their plans, infiltrated the most powerful
nation and executed an act of terror that changed the face
of the world. Inside 9/11 is the story of individual
lives touched by tragedy and of a nation that was forced to
move in a few hours from delusions of invulnerability to belated
vigilance. This four-part miniseries features Osama Rising
(12 September at 10 pm), Countdown to Terror (13
September at 10 pm), Zero Hour (14 September 14 at
10 pm) and End Game (15 September at 10 pm).
Another episode is called IC 814 Hijack. Through recreations,
interviews with hostages, government negotiators and intelligence
officials, IC 814 Hijack relives the traumatic and
politically explosive set of events that unfolded on ground
and in air. Hostage TV meanwhile explores the inside world
of hostages - taking in an age of mass media and modern technology
and seeks to illuminate the evolving targets, tactics and
impact of terrorism. As is the case with a previously mentioned
Discovery special NGC's film investigates the harrowing story
of the Moscow theatre siege.
Suicide Web uses the London attacks as a focal point while
looking at the motivations of suicide bombers, the role of
religion in their recruitment and how they have become one
of the most dangerous terrorist threats facing the world.
Al Qaeda Calling looks in detail at the Madrid train
bombings of March 2004 during which 10 explosive devices were
triggered by mobile phones on four trains killing 191 commuters,
only four days before the general election.
This episode will air on Thursday, 21 September at 10 pm.
To put the terror threat into perspective Discovery held
a press conference this morning. Institute of conflict Management
founding member and former director Dr. Ajay Sahni spoke about
the threat of terrorism. He noted that the series is important
as it comes at a time when terrorism and its global networks
are taking centrestage but our understanding of it lags behind
its evolution.
He regretted the fact that a lack of clarity and political
opportunism has hampered an effective counter terrorism response
both in India and abroad. He noted that India does not have
a counter terrorism policy. India he says first has to fight
terrorism at home and then look for co-operation from abroad.
He added that today there is a lot of focus on Islamic terrorism
as it affects the US which leads global discourse. However,
it is important to stay unbiased as a range of ideologies
use terrorism. Radical Islam, he noted, is only a part of
the context in which terrorism occurs.
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