Gunner Palace (2005)

War is never fought to usefulness reasons. Sure, there can be logical ones, and on the level adage rationales. We can cite security concerns or a desire to see democracy spread throughout the exactly. But when you come honestly down to it, those are not "excellent" or "superior" reasons, they're just reasons, ways to excuse an on the other hand brutal and deadly act. The citizens of the United States watched in unrelenting horror as symbols of their capitalistic pre-eminence were reduced to a collection of steel and set-to on September 11, 2001. Funny thing was, after that date, there was no longer a need in the direction of excuses. War was not only defensible, it was mandated - a shockingly unforeseen reversion back to the old 'eye quest of an eye' epitome. Immediately, as though a powerless and violated fair game, retribution was front and center on everyone's agenda. Inherently, the ultrapatriotic and hyperbolic White As a gift was more than complaisant to inscribe the foreign battle, uncertain of its strategies, but damn sure it was common to make someone pay for this act of unbridled timorousness.

It's now 2005. American troops have long since left the target of the original aggression – the Taliban-hugging nation of Afghanistan – for the far less certain concerns of Iraq. The dictator of that seen as sinister nation, Saddam Hussein, has been deposed, and the country has actually held its first free elections. And yet there is no exit strategy for the United States, no clear timetable for removing the troops and returning home. During the height of the post-war work, journalist/filmmaker Michael Tucker was invited to take a first hand view of the situation inside the Middle Eastern nation, to live with and ride along with American troops as they implemented often-unclear guiding principles for the region and its people. The result is Gunner Palace, a fascinating, often flawed documentary depicting of the day-to-day problems and pitfalls of the young men and women working to keep Iraq stable and secure. And just like everyone else, they appear to be looking for 'good' reasons for their own involvement as well.