Collateral Damage in Middle Eastern Affairs

Collateral Damage in Middle Eastern Affairs

NEWS RELEASE FROM JEREMY REYNALDS (505) 400-7145

Thousands of people often become “collateral damage” in the war against terror, ostensibly sacrificed for the greater good of eradicating terrorism from the planet. In 10 Minutes, author Jeremy Reynalds explores varying perspectives on the idea of collateral damage in Middle Eastern affairs.

Reporter Cameron Foster sacrifices his Christian faith, fidelity to his wife, and journalistic ethics as collateral damage on his path to the weekend anchor position. When he goes on location in Afghanistan, the “collateral damage” to his career becomes far more serious, succumbing to blackmail in order to hide his marital infidelity in the interest of both his marriage and his career. Foster’s actions in Afghanistan result in the deaths of over 150 men, aiding the enemy, and becoming a traitor to his country.  Despite his personal misgivings, he is reminded that “collateral damage” is often used to justify the actions of the American government.

While Foster’s actions may have helped Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama Bin Laden’s second in command, evade the military efforts to find him; events in the real world have played out better than those in this fictional representation of a military operation gone very wrong. 10 Minutes is an incredibly timely story, released on the heels of Osama Bin Laden’s capture and execution in “Operation Neptune Spear,” after evading international attempts to find him for a decade.

Throughout the story, Foster’s actions are justified by his own guilty conscience, by the station pressuring him for stories that violate all standards of social mores, and by his blackmailers, largely reflecting the blurred sense of justification that has guided so much of our modern secular values as well as our actions in international affairs.  Reynalds gives readers a great deal to consider about the true meaning of “collateral damage,” which has become a modern euphemism for all manner of sins, illustrating that sometimes, the result is not worth the damage that is incurred in the process, and that not everything can be justified and moralized.