12 Strong!

12 Strong!

Photo credit: Joy Asico

If you have acrophobia, “12 Strong” is not the movie for you. The mountainous terrain scenes are not for the fainthearted.  12 Strong is the incredible story of the first Special Forces team deployed to Afghanistan after 9/11 who were sent to work with the mujahidin to fight the Taliban.  The Atlantic Council and the Motion Picture Association of America held a private screening at The National Archives with introductions by Frederick Kempe, President and CEO Atlantic Council and Ambassador Charles Rivkin, Chairman and CEO Motion Picture Association of America. Kempe calls it “a powerful movie about an issue that still is at the center of our plates.”  “The heroes in this film are, in many ways, the living embodiment of some of the nation’s founding documents that are housed in this very building. And telling these stories is a part of the mission of the film and television industry and is part of the mission of the Motion Pictures Association,” said Rivkin. “Movies inspire us. They’re often a gateway to understanding complex events that often shape history. They foster important conversations and they tell stories of people who were part of our country’s challenging, but also inspirational, moments. They help us understand the meaning of service, of sacrifice and of heroism. 12 Strong is an incredible example of that and I’m really thrilled that we can show it in this form.

Ambassador Rivkin

The only lighthearted moment was after philanthropist Adrienne Arsht was introduced: “I will say I’m looking forward to coming back to the Motion Picture Association because you’ve got the best popcorn,” she joked referring to the temporary dislocation from their site on Eye Street in Washington, DC during renovations.  It was to be the only light moment in an otherwise somber evening.  “The movie really puts forth the story of Task Force Dagger which went into Afghanistan in the days immediately following 911 and took the fight to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. Many 1000s of Americans have served in Afghanistan or worked on Afghan issues, including some you present today. We are fortunate to have two individuals very well acquainted with that long war.”

Adrienne Arsht

Before the screening, former senior Commander to US and coalition forces in Afghanistan Lieutenant General David Barno, USA (Ret.), and former Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Dr. Michael Vickers, shared their perspectives on the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, the latest decision to deploy more US and NATO troops there and prospects for bringing peace to this war-torn country and the broader region. Both men have substantial experience with issues related to Afghanistan and have been personally involved in shaping US policy there.

Fred Kempe

“We are honored to have you all here,” said Kempe. “The screening is sponsored on our side by the Adrienne Arsht Center for Resilience of the Atlantic Council. Adrienne is Executive Vice Chair of our board and a true visionary leader. She is one of these women who just gets things done. If there were a movie here about her, it would be One Strong.”  “Not only is Adrienne a revered champion of the arts and an amazing humanitarian but to me she’s extremely special because I have the privilege of calling her my good friend,” said Rivkin. “And as Fred mentioned, tonight’s event wouldn’t have been possible without her.  Adrienne has been a tireless supporter of both the Atlantic Council and also a true friend of the Motion Pictures Association.”

Christine Wormuth – Director, Adrienne Arsht Center for Resilience Atlantic Council – moderated the panel: “I won’t say anything more about the movie because no one likes spoilers. But I think, as everyone knows, while this film tells the story of basically the first chapter in the Afghanistan war and it ended with a victory against the Taliban, a more permanent defeat of the Taliban has proved much more elusive which brings us to the opportunity to have a good discussion on the panel. As of just this Monday, the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for 6,000 days. Think about that. This is literally the longest war in the history of the United States. So, it’s very much still a hot war.  What is different, and what do you think the American people can expect in terms of how long this is going to take?”

Dr. Michael Vickers: “Know that the 15,000 troops aren’t going to win anytime soon, but given our interests in Afghanistan, it’s important that we remain engaged to protect those interests. Insurgencies typically go on for a long period of time. Air power is a great source of advantage in our advisement and assist of the Afghan troops, as well as international assistance to Afghanistan, is very important. But we can’t necessarily defeat them anytime soon.”

Lt. General Barno: “I would agree with all that. I think one of the biggest mistakes we’ve made strategically, and in fact here when we had the surge back in 9, 10, 11, is we focused on American troops fighting the Taliban instead of building the Afghan army to be able to take on the Taliban. We’re only starting to reverse that trend now in a very, very small way with a limited number of troops. So this war is gonna go on, I predict, for a very long time.”

Christine: “I think that’s a good transition, Mike, into the core issue of if it’s going to take a long time and a lot of money as well. Why is it important for the United States to be there. What is at stake? Sixteen years ago we went in because that’s where the 9/11 attacks came from. Core Al-Qaeda, as you know better than any of us in this room, has been seriously degraded. So, why do we still need to be there?”

Dr. Vickers: “A fundamental reason is to not have a catastrophic attack on the United States, emanating from Afghanistan or the Pakistan border region. And while Al-Qaeda has been decimated in the border region, they’re closely aligned with a number of Afghan and Pakistani insurgent groups. The Pakistani Taliban and others, so as long as they can hang on, those groups have territory either in Pakistan or Afghanistan and they can recover and plot attacks.”

Lt. General Barno: “We’ve always had two objectives to reconciliation. One is that they renounce violence and accept the Afghan government and integrate into the political system. And two, break any relationship with Al Qaeda and the Jihadi terrorists. They really haven’t been willing to do that, even though they talk about it, saying, ‘We don’t have a relationship with Al Qaeda.’ They do, and they maintain it.”

Dr. Vickers: “Their view is that they are prepared to stay. They’re not going to rotate out. They’re not going to take a vacation. In terms of conflict, this is their war. This is their territory and they’re going to stay and fight for it. They’ve already lived through, probably, the toughest beating they could have possibly imagined in 9, 10, and 11.”

Jane Harman, Former US Rep (D-CA)

“I think our troops need to know that they’ve got the support of the Congress and the public behind them, so I’d love to see that debate.” Jane Harman

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