Truth, Lies and Intelligence (ATOM Study Guide)

Truth, Lies & Intelligence is a seventy-minute 2005 documentary suitable for senior secondary students. It chronicles the inside journey from 9/11 to the bombing of Baghdad. After scores of interviews with senior intelligence analysts, Iraqi refugees, Arab leaders, insurgent bombers and ordinary citizens there can only be one conclusion – the invasion, conquest and occupation of Iraq was a war based on a litany of lies.

The film raises a number of important issues associated with the Iraq war, the rights and responsibilities of a government in a democracy, and the idea of a 'just war'. It asks if the three governments (of the United States, Great Britain and Australia) lied to their people about the justification for the war against Iraq; it questions what happened to the 'whistleblowers' who exposed those lies; it considers whether the invasion of Iraq was justified because it replaced a dictator and tyrant with a democratically elected government, and it explores whether the war did more harm than good by encouraging and fostering a clash between religions and civilisations – Arab Muslims against Western Christians.

Curriculum Links:
Truth, Lies & Intelligence is a complex and uncompromising film. Teachers in senior classrooms can use it as a valuable resource for:

• History – war and conflicts
• English – analysing contemporary issues
• Values Education – investigating the issue of a 'just war'
• Discovering Democracy – exploring ideas of the rights and responsibilities of governments in a democracy
• Civics and Citizenship – exploring issues of the rights and responsibilities of citizens in a democracy
• Media Studies – analysing the documentary form