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Couple: Taliban extremists threaten entire Mideast

By Gail McCarthy
Staff Writer
Published: October 3, 2008

A husband and wife who have reported on Afghanistan for 25 years will speak at the Cape Ann Forum this Sunday at City Hall, with a message that Taliban extremists continue to pose a threat to democracy.

The first Cape Ann Forum of the season features filmmakers and journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould, whose work will deliver a close-up look at U.S. interests and the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.

The forum takes place in Gloucester City Hall this Sunday from 7 to 9 p.m. and is free to the public.

The Winchester couple warn that a resurgent Taliban is claiming ever wider influence throughout this strategic Middle East, including nuclear-armed Pakistan. This is happening as hostility toward the United States grows and public support for the government there wanes, according to a press release.

Gould and Fitzgerald are the authors of a new book on the issue, "Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story" that will be out in January 2009. They will present highlights of the book's exploration of what's behind the wars in this country and how and why the United States got involved, along with a short film.

"From Alexander the Great to the British, to the Soviet Union, Afghanistan's roads are maps of the rise and fall of empires and the path of Western Civilization," the filmmakers say. "And now, the United States has been added to the list."

Ellen Solomon, a forum spokeswoman, encourages residents to attend and hear more about an issue that is a key point in American politics.

"They have a historical perspective as well as a current perspective," said Solomon of the couple. "Right now in this country Afghanistan is getting the attention it deserves and now residents here have an opportunity to hear firsthand from people who have spent decades there reporting on the issues. I encourage people to come out and learn more and ask questions. The topic is important given the coming election because the next president is going to have to decide how to approach Afghanistan."

Gould and Fitzgerald first reported on the wars in Afghanistan for CBS-TV in 1981. Since then, they have reported for PBS and ABC "Nightline," among others. They co-produced the 2003 documentary "The Woman in Exile Returns: The Sima Wall Story," which tracked Wall's journey back to her homeland after 24 years in the United States.

This is Cape Ann Forum's 49th public event since the community-based nonprofit was launched after the Sept. 11 terror attacks to increase public understanding of international issues.

Future forums this year feature former Coast Guard Academy Leadership Institute director Scott Borgerson discussing what Arctic warming means, on Nov. 16; the International Crisis Group's Middle East expert Joost Hiltermann on Iraq and the next U.S. administration, on Feb. 22; New York Times reporter Howard French on the rise of China, at a date to be announced; and military analyst and author Andrew Bacevich on the limits to American power, on April 5.

For more information, visit www.capeannforum.org.

Gail McCarthy may be contacted at gmccarthy@gloucestertimes.com.

Cape Ann Forum kicks off season

What: Cape Ann Forum.

Who: A close-up look at Afghanistan by married filmmakers and journalists Paul Fitzgerald and Elizabeth Gould. Discussion, short film, followed by a question and answer meeting.

When: Sunday, from 7 to 9 p.m.

Where: Kyrouz Auditorium, Gloucester City Hall.

How much: Free to the public.

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