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# ‘No End in Sight’ hits homefront
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/no-end-in-sight-hits-homefront/
- Published: 2007-11-03T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T01:13:36.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By BYJACKNEWORTH NEWDVDRELEASES*

During Vietnam anti-war protesters were considered “commie” hippies whom the moral majority felt needed, at a minimum, a bath and a haircut. Today many of those critical of the Iraq war are lifelong Republicans: Senator Hagel, George Will, Pat Buchanan, Tucker Carlson, former Treasury Secretary Paul O’Neil and Congressman Ron Paul. Hardly does this group have hygiene issues. (Will does wear a bow tie as did Carlson, but those are fashion issues.) I’m reminded of the contrast between the two eras after viewing the award winning “No End in Sight,” a compelling, if not painful, documentary by first-time producer/director Charles Ferguson. (On DVD as of October 30.) If you are/were in favor of the invasion, “No End in Sight” portrays the dedication and sincerity of American officials on the ground. The film is not partisan nor is it propaganda. After a career in political science and information technology, Ferguson sold his software company to Microsoft for $14 million. He invested $2 million into making this movie with little likelihood of getting a return, but calls it, “The best monies I’ve ever spent.”

Based on over 200 hours of footage, the film provides a candid retelling, through dramatic visuals and candid interviews, of events following the fall of Baghdad in 2003\. We hear from Iraqi civilians, American soldiers, and high-ranking officials such as former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, General Jay Garner and Ambassador Barbara Bodine. One of Bodine’s comments is haunting, “We discovered if there were 500 ways to get it wrong and two or three to get it right, we had to go through all 500.”

What is so striking about “No End in Sight” is how frank the interviewees are and how sincerely they felt the occupation could have worked. Seemingly without a political agenda, they make a far better case than President Bush, Dick Cheney or Don Rumsfeld ever did. What’s so tragic, are the colossal and inexplicable mistakes in judgment that literally doomed their efforts and plunged Iraq into chaos.

Among the most compelling of the interviews was with General Garner who was in charge of Iraq through May of 2003\. Garner, tough and no nonsense, commented on the three most serious mistakes of the occupation: Not allowing the immediate formation of an interim government, de-Ba’athification, and the disbanding of the entire Iraqi army.

Once warfare has ended the primary goal of any occupying force is to provide food, water, electricity and most importantly, order, so that the population feels a sense of security. Allowing the looting signified to the Iraqis just the opposite. (There is footage of Rumsfeld joking about the looting, saying the TV coverage was of “the same guy with the same vase” adding, “there can’t be that many vases in Iraq.”) The de-Ba’athification of the ministries caused government functions to cease. But the worst blunder was the disbanding of the Iraqi army, sending 400,000 soldiers, now unemployed, out onto the streets and with weapons. For each soldier it’s been estimated seven others depended on his income. It’s fairly easy to see how the combination of these actions, along with not securing the ammunition dumps, fueled an immediate insurgency from which we’ve never recovered.

After being replaced by L. Paul Bremer, General Garner pleaded that they call Rumsfeld to see if they “could-n’t soften” some of the damage that he feared would result. Bremer response was he had his “orders,” and, by all accounts, was dictatorial in their implementation. (Despite the disastrous results, Bush later awarded Bremer the Medal of Freedom, an odd form of “accountability.”) Compelling throughout, “No End in Sight” runs 102 minutes. Among the many special features is a revealing interview with Richard Armitage. In reviewing the theatrical release, Roger Ebert recalled the famous scene from “A Clockwork Orange,” where Alex (Malcom McDowell) has his eyes clamped open and is forced to watch a movie. Ebert suggests a similar experience for the architects of the Iraq war and “No End in Sight.” It sounds a little rough, but at least it’s not water boarding.

JACK NEWORTH also writes “Laughing Matters” which appears every Friday. He

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/110307-17_01.jpg)

REUTERS/Win McNamee HEAVY ISSUE: (Top) U.S. (Photo: Photo courtesy)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 3, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/110307.pdf?ref=smdp.com)