Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror

Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this TV show.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror is a documentary series that traces the geopolitical origins of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, and chronicles the events that transpired on that fateful day. It features disturbing archived recordings, images, and descriptions of what happened, as well as other violent military and terrorist-related imagery from around the world that took place before and after the attacks. Expect images of seriously injured people and mutilated corpses, as well a drawings and descriptions of people being tortured. There's some cursing (words like "hell," "s--t"). The poor treatment of women in some Middle Eastern countries is discussed, and a few episodes show images of women being violently punished or injured as a result. All of this is offered in context, but can be hard to watch.
Community Reviews
A Painful but Important Part of Our History
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Premature and Agenda Driven
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What's the Story?
TURNING POINT: 9/11 AND THE WAR ON TERROR is a documentary series that traces the origins of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. With the help of archive footage, and interviews with government operatives like former CIA officer Milton Bearden and former FBI special agent Ali Soufan, authors like Ahmed Rashid, and Afghan leaders like former Mujahhideen leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar reveal the geopolitical events -- beginning with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 -- that laid the foundation for what transpired on 9/11. Also discussed are the military strategies employed after the event, the controversial attempts to gather U.S. intelligence, and the failures of the ongoing war in Afghanistan. Throughout it all, recordings, photographs, and witnesses and survivors offer first-hand accounts of what happened on that fateful day.
Is It Any Good?
The thought-provoking but disturbing series breaks down the the geopolitical events that eventually led to the 9/11 attacks, and the complicated events that followed. It underscores the fact that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan was a pivotal moment in history that fueled a rise of Muslim fundamentalism and led to the birth of a small multinational group of Islamic extremists known as al-Qaeda. It also explains how the Reagan Administration's Cold War strategy against the U.S.S.R., and the following 20 years of U.S. political, economic, and military activity in the Middle East, also contributed to the global expansion and terrorist activities of al-Qaeda under Osama Bin Laden, which was severely underestimated by the U.S. government.
Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror offers lots of particulars about what the United States failed to do before and after September 11. But as it details the problems and failures associated with the gathering of U.S. intelligence, the inability to come up with cohesive military strategies to combat terrorism, and fighting a 20-year war in Afghanistan with no real success, it also reminds us of the horrors that transpired on that fateful day. The recordings of people asking for help are hard to listen to, and the images of human suffering in the U.S. and Afghanistan are difficult to watch, especially when the argument is being made about how all of it was preventable. Nonetheless, the series successfully deconstructs the complicated events leading up to what happened on 9/11, and how it irrevocably changed the way we saw the world at the beginning of a new century.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the role media plays in our understanding of the Middle East, and the people who live there. How do media stereotypes about Muslims contribute to the way we thank about what happened on September 11, 2001? What attempts have been made to challenge them? Has it worked?
Families can talk about the impact of 9/11 on the United States and around the world. Why was it so significant? Every year documentaries like Turning Point: 9/11 and the War on Terror, Hollywood movies, and other media are released to mark what happened, but how much of these stories need to be told? Should replaying the events that happened, including people's final words or last moments, be included in these presentations?
TV Details
- Premiere date: September 1, 2021
- Network: Netflix
- Genre: Reality TV
- Topics: History
- TV rating: TV-14
- Last updated: February 28, 2022
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Themes & Topics
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