The RUSI Journal Deadly Dilemmas

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The RUSI Journal Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rusi20 Deadly Dilemmas Ofer Fridman & Beatrice Heuser Published online: 24 Dec 2013.

To cite this article: Ofer Fridman & Beatrice Heuser (2013) Deadly Dilemmas, The RUSI Journal, 158:6, 92-98, DOI: 10.1080/03071847.2013.869728 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03071847.2013.869728

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REVIEW ESSAY DEADLY DILEMMAS PROBLEMS OF COUNTER-INSURGENCY AND COUNTER-TERRORISM IN THREE DOCUMENTARIES

OFER FRIDMAN AND BEATRICE HEUSER

5 Broken Cameras DirectedbyEmad Burnat and Guy Davidi,2011 The Gatekeepers DirectedbyDrorMoreh, 2012 Eine mörderische Entscheidung DirectedbyRaymondLey,2013

ince the Second World War, and Eine mörderische Entscheidung open testimonies of almost all the heads counter-insurgency and counter- [A Murderous Decision]. The three films of ShinBet during this period: Avraham Sterrorism operations have –the first twoofwhich were shortlisted ‘Avroum’ Shalom (1981–86),Yaakov Peri become muchmorefrequentand forthe 2012 Academy Awards forBest (1988–94), CarmiGillon (1995–96), Ami widespread than large-scale conventional Documentary Feature–are instructive Ayalon (1996–2000), AviDichter(2000– confrontations. While at first therewas on the problemsofviolent asymmetric 05) and YuvalDiskin (2005–11). These awidespreadperceptionthatrelatively conflictsseen from threecompletely interviews,conductedbetween 2009 and small, badlytrained and poorly equipped differentangles. While The Gatekeepers 2012, arecomplemented by older news groups of extremists would be unable focuses on high-levelstrategicdecision- footage, pre-air-strikesurveillance videos, to challengehighlyadvancedWestern making, A Murderous Decision and, to a and computer animations illustrating the military and security forces, counter- certain extent, 5 Broken Cameras present events discussed by the interviewees. insurgentssoon learnt the opposite.The the tactical dilemmas faced by military Thedocumentaryisdividedinto fightagainstinsurgency and terror has officersonthe ground. Moreover, 5 sevenparts, each of which deals with raisedproblemsand dilemmas equally Broken Cameras illustratesthe reaction differentaspects of counter-terror challenging to both militarycommanders of the local population and the problems activity. The first part, ‘NoStrategy,Just and the politicianswho send themto thatstrategic, as well as tactical, decisions Tactics’,focusesonthe glaring absence Downloaded by [Royal United Services Institute for Defence & Security Studies] at 02:57 17 January 2014 fightthesewars. Today, victory in such of counter-insurgencycreate. This review of anyarticulatedstrategicgoals forShin conflictsseems difficult to achieve,as assesses whatthesethree outstanding Bet, leavingthe agency to act on the basis Ami Ayalon,formerly commander of the documentary films convey aboutthese of ad-hoc political decisions. The second Israeli navy and the chiefofShin Bet, problems. part, ‘Forgetabout Morality’, tackles notes in The Gatekeepers.Hesums up The Gatekeepers,byIsraeli director interrogations and torture.The third one of the main paradoxesoffighting Dror Moreh, throwslightonthe Israeli and fourthparts, ‘One Man’sTerrorist terrorism: ‘Wewin everybattle, but we government’sfightagainstterrorism Is Another Man’sFreedomFighter’ and lose the war.’ through aseries of unprecedented ‘Our Own Flesh and Blood’,deal with Three recentdocumentaries interviews with the successivechiefs of theArab–Israeli peace process of the makeoutstanding contributionsto the Israeli counter-terrorist organisation early1990s and Shin Bet’sreaction to our understanding of some of the Shin Bet. The documentary examines the Jewish Undergroundthatcut it short problems of counter-insurgency: the lastthirtyyearsofstrategicdecision- with the assassination of Prime Minister The Gatekeepers, 5 Broken Cameras making through personal and surprisingly Yitzhak Rabin. The fifth part, ‘VictoryIs

RUSI 158_6 TEXT.indd 92 13/12/2013 13:34:52 The Gatekeepers,directedbyDrorMoreh, 2012.

to See YouSuffer’, discusses the Second confront the Firstand Second Intifadas, The mostintriguingparadoxisthe Intifada and desperateattempts to the Oslo Accordsand militaryoperations ethical contradiction underlying counter- restart negotiations betweenIsrael and in the West Bank and GazaStrip.However, terrorism decision-making. On theone Palestine.The sixth, ‘CollateralDamage’, the ShinBet also had to respond to the hand, Israelisfightingterrorists, people deals with targeted-killing tactics assassination of Prime MinisterYitzhak who arereadytosacrifice their lives in that, according to Ami Ayalon,were Rabin and the threatofultra-right- an attempttokill as many Israeli civilians ‘completely ineffective’ in hindsight. In wingJewish terror organisations; this as theycan: perhapsinthis type of war, the lastpart, ‘The OldMan at the End of presents the obvious dilemmabetween anymethod –torture, targeted killing, the Corridor’,each of the interviewees Shin Bet’sprofessional mandate to stop indiscriminate arrests and interrogations presents hisown overallevaluation of their activities and the inclination of the –isacceptable. Yetinretrospect, the Israel’sachievements –orlack of them political leadership to see them as ‘part of interviewees regret their owndecisions –inthe battle againstterror (orthe us’,and thus to treatthem less severely andmethods. While Avroum Shalom Palestinian people) and the role of Israeli thanthe Palestinian terrorists. sees no reason forself-imposed moral security forces in that battle. Nonetheless, the main focus of restrictions in dealing with terrorists Withbreath-taking frankness, The The Gatekeepers is notonthe decision- who shownone, YuvalDiskin even finds Gatekeepers explores aspects of high- making process itself,but on the people it troubling that he decided to order the levelsecurity decision-making:from who makethesedecisionsand order killing of terroristsknown to be on their internalorganisational processes to the their implementation. The former chiefs waytocommit murder.Moreover, the Downloaded by [Royal Unit