This week's pick is a documentary telling the story of Afghanistan's first woman candidate for election to parliament whose courage at criticising its incumbent war criminals has made her the subject of continued assassination attempts.
Afghanistan also features in a documentary in which several members of the Grenadier Guards are interviewed. Other programmes of political interest feature corruption on a massive scale regarding the cost to America of the war with Iraq, a dramatic portrayal of Thatcher's handling of the Falklands War and a further portrayal of individuals who experience the phenomenon of Genetic Sexual Attraction.
Monday 9 June - 8.30 - 9pm - BBC1 - Panorama - What Happened After Taking on the Taliban?
This update consists in the main of interviews with some of the Grenadier Guards who were filmed while fighting on the frontline in Afghanistan last summer. Some are proud of their decorations for bravery, others are anxious to leave the army as soon as possible. Jeremy Vine attempts to ascertain the reasons for these varied responses.
Tuesday 10 June - 9 - 10pm - BBC1 - Panorama Special - Daylight Robbery
The war with Iraq may have cost America billions of dollars, but some have benefited financially from this outlay. These are firms with links to the White House. A Justice Department gagging order has prevented the scale of the scandal becoming fully evident. Despite this, some 70 whistle-blowing cases are nonetheless being bought out into the open. Jane Corbin here speaks to some of the witnesses who provide evidence of institutionalised waste and corruption on a massive scale.
Pick of the Week :rb:
Tuesday 10 June - 10 - 11.20pm - More4 - True Stories: A Woman Among Warlords
Malalai Joya is the first female candidate to stand for election in Afghanistan. This enlightening documentary in the ever-reliable and original True Stories strand begins with a remarkable piece of footage. A young woman stands up in a male-dominated Afghan grand assembly and condemns the war criminals in parliament. Her response is gasps, sparse applause... then banishment. The film opens in 2005 as Joya prepares to stand as an MP, women recently having been given the vote for the first time. She survives several assassination attempts and must travel at all times under armed guard, wearing a burka. As she says: "Speaking the truth is seen as rebellion. " The film also shows some people travelling hundreds of miles to offer support including one 100-year old woman, a former Mujahidin, who wriggles across the floor to demonstrate how she used to destroy Russian tanks.
Wednesday 11 June - 9 - 10.30pm - BBC4 - The Falklands Play
Originally commissioned in 1987, Ian Curteis's gripping account of how Thatcher handled the Falklands War was considered "too politically sensitive" at the time and wasn't filmed until 2002. Well cast and well acted, its portrayal of the backdoor manoeuvrings at that time are said to still "ruffle a few feathers."
Thursday 12 June - 9 - 10pm - ITV1 - Brothers and Sisters In Love
Genetic Sexual Attraction (whereby siblings who grew up separately are physically attracted to each other in adulthood) has been the subject of a recent Cutting Edge documentary and has also been the subject of discussion on these boards. This programme is included as it features interviews with the controversial German brother and sister who have had four children together, three of which have been removed by social services.
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