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00:00:05,213 --> 00:00:07,757
[Shinji]   speaking Japanese

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I don't know            
        if "violent" cuts it.

3
00:00:10,510 --> 00:00:12,679
In Japan, this disturbing

4
00:00:12,721 --> 00:00:15,181
and potentially dangerous     
       manga is protected by law

5
00:00:15,223 --> 00:00:16,683
as freedom of expression.

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00:00:16,725 --> 00:00:19,019
Is there a link          
         between this material

7
00:00:19,060 --> 00:00:21,312
and instances of real abuse?

8
00:00:21,354 --> 00:00:23,356
speaking Japanese

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00:00:23,398 --> 00:00:24,816
[Hanako]   Do you think       
           this type of media

10
00:00:24,858 --> 00:00:26,234
should be banned in Japan?

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00:00:26,276 --> 00:00:28,194
speaking Japanese

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00:00:28,236 --> 00:00:31,364
dramatic electronic music

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00:00:31,406 --> 00:00:33,825
[Suroosh]   Africa has become    
        a strategic focal point

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00:00:33,867 --> 00:00:35,535
for the world's major powers.

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00:00:35,577 --> 00:00:37,328
Exercises like this        
              are becoming

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00:00:37,370 --> 00:00:39,205
a bigger priority for America.

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00:00:39,247 --> 00:00:40,915
In recent years,

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00:00:40,957 --> 00:00:43,084
ten governments          
         have been overthrown.

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00:00:43,126 --> 00:00:45,253
Is it a dangerous game      
        to be training officers

20
00:00:45,295 --> 00:00:46,921
from unstable nations?

21
00:00:46,963 --> 00:00:49,883
No, I don't--I think        
     it's actually the opposite.

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00:00:49,924 --> 00:00:52,177
Did the U.S. military       
      play a role in the coup?

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00:00:54,929 --> 00:00:58,140
driving electronic music

24
00:01:13,281 --> 00:01:16,241
warbling synth music

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[traffic director]         
           speaking Japanese

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00:01:27,378 --> 00:01:29,589
[Hanako]              
           speaking Japanese

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00:01:33,426 --> 00:01:35,595
We're heading           
      to Anime Japan right now,

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00:01:35,637 --> 00:01:38,556
and it's the largest anime     
      convention in the world.

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00:01:38,597 --> 00:01:40,475
Anime and manga          
           are one of Japan's

30
00:01:40,517 --> 00:01:43,561
most popular and lucrative    
           cultural exports.

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In 2020, anime alone       
      raked in almost $18 billion

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in domestic            
        and international sales,

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00:01:48,983 --> 00:01:51,236
with its appeal          
         to people of all ages.

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00:01:52,821 --> 00:01:55,031
speaking Japanese

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00:01:57,325 --> 00:01:59,119
[Hanako]   Whether it's       
       stories about martial arts

36
00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:00,829
or magical girls saving      
               the world,

37
00:02:00,870 --> 00:02:04,624
the focus is often on cute    
        and innocent characters.

38
00:02:04,666 --> 00:02:07,710
But sometimes the line      
      between cute and concerning

39
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can get pretty blurry.

40
00:02:12,132 --> 00:02:14,759
There are a few really, really   
         young-looking girls

41
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in basically little        
           to no clothing.

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They are very clearly children,

43
00:02:20,682 --> 00:02:22,725
and people are just        
           walking around

44
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as though nothing is wrong,

45
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nothing is different.

46
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These images are tame compared

47
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to what's out there.

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00:02:29,023 --> 00:02:30,400
Online and in bookshops,

49
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there's an entire subgenre

50
00:02:31,818 --> 00:02:34,654
of animated child pornography.

51
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The comics are so graphic     
           that in the U.S.,

52
00:02:37,407 --> 00:02:41,327
you could get up to 15 years   
     in jail just for owning one...

53
00:02:41,369 --> 00:02:43,163
but not here.

54
00:02:43,204 --> 00:02:44,956
When child pornography was    
             finally banned

55
00:02:44,998 --> 00:02:46,833
in Japan in 2014,

56
00:02:46,875 --> 00:02:49,878
publishers lobbied to keep    
       animated child porn legal,

57
00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,130
arguing that           
       artists' freedom of speech

58
00:02:52,172 --> 00:02:54,340
is protected           
          by the constitution.

59
00:02:54,382 --> 00:02:56,049
They even pressured        
             the government

60
00:02:56,092 --> 00:02:58,678
not to study the effects     
     of this material on consumers,

61
00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:00,889
because they said         
            no real children

62
00:03:00,930 --> 00:03:03,141
were being harmed to make it.

63
00:03:03,183 --> 00:03:04,809
They got what they wanted.

64
00:03:04,851 --> 00:03:08,479
Today, all manga, no matter    
         how sexually explicit,

65
00:03:08,521 --> 00:03:09,898
is protected by law.

66
00:03:13,902 --> 00:03:17,363
[Shinji]   speaking Japanese

67
00:03:21,034 --> 00:03:22,869
[Hanako]   Shinji          
         is a manga super fan,

68
00:03:22,911 --> 00:03:24,871
and also one of the artists    
            creating comics

69
00:03:24,912 --> 00:03:26,873
that show child pornography.

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00:03:26,915 --> 00:03:29,334
He's 49 years old,        
          but much of his work

71
00:03:29,375 --> 00:03:32,378
focuses on elementary       
            school students.

72
00:03:32,420 --> 00:03:35,882
He says it's harmless because   
     it doesn't involve real kids.

73
00:03:36,716 --> 00:03:38,384
speaking Japanese

74
00:03:38,426 --> 00:03:41,888
[Shinji]   speaking Japanese

75
00:03:54,442 --> 00:03:58,696
[Hanako] So this story is     
    about a young high schooler,

76
00:03:58,738 --> 00:04:00,615
and she is getting gang raped

77
00:04:00,657 --> 00:04:03,701
by a bunch of high school boys.

78
00:04:03,743 --> 00:04:06,246
So what they're doing is      
       ejaculating in condoms,

79
00:04:06,287 --> 00:04:08,665
and then they're putting      
    the condoms inside the girl.

80
00:04:08,706 --> 00:04:10,917
And she is apparently

81
00:04:10,959 --> 00:04:13,836
sexually enjoying this process   
              as well.

82
00:04:13,878 --> 00:04:17,674
This is quite...

83
00:04:17,715 --> 00:04:20,843
I don't know if "violent"     
       cuts it, to be honest.

84
00:04:20,885 --> 00:04:23,930
[Shinji]   speaking Japanese

85
00:04:36,067 --> 00:04:37,944
[Hanako]              
      But it's not just about art.

86
00:04:37,986 --> 00:04:41,239
Shinji admits           
      he's attracted to children.

87
00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:43,283
He agreed to talk to us      
          because he believes

88
00:04:43,324 --> 00:04:46,035
his work prevents pedophiles   
           from abusing kids

89
00:04:46,077 --> 00:04:48,288
by allowing them to live out   
      their dark fantasies alone.

90
00:04:50,039 --> 00:04:52,500
[Shinji]   speaking Japanese

91
00:05:31,706 --> 00:05:34,167
gentle music

92
00:05:34,208 --> 00:05:35,626
[Hanako]   There are         
         no studies that prove

93
00:05:35,668 --> 00:05:39,255
animated child porn leads     
           to actual assault.

94
00:05:39,297 --> 00:05:41,007
What we do know          
            from police data

95
00:05:41,049 --> 00:05:44,802
is that Japan is facing      
         a child abuse crisis.

96
00:05:44,844 --> 00:05:46,512
More and more people       
           are being arrested

97
00:05:46,554 --> 00:05:48,348
for sexually abusing minors,

98
00:05:48,389 --> 00:05:49,849
and more children are becoming

99
00:05:49,891 --> 00:05:52,769
victims of pornography      
            on social media.

100
00:05:52,810 --> 00:05:54,937
But most lawmakers don't think

101
00:05:54,979 --> 00:05:58,191
that animated child        
      pornography is the problem.

102
00:05:58,232 --> 00:06:00,234
Even as the country prepares   
              to establish

103
00:06:00,276 --> 00:06:02,778
its first-ever          
     Children's Ministry next year,

104
00:06:02,820 --> 00:06:04,155
a government office dedicated

105
00:06:04,197 --> 00:06:06,449
to protecting           
         the rights of minors,

106
00:06:06,491 --> 00:06:08,034
there are no plans        
              to reexamine

107
00:06:08,076 --> 00:06:09,535
this disturbing manga.

108
00:06:09,577 --> 00:06:12,914
[Minoru]   speaking Japanese

109
00:06:19,504 --> 00:06:21,254
[Hanako]   Minoru Ogino       
           is a manga artist

110
00:06:21,297 --> 00:06:23,674
and an elected Tokyo official.

111
00:06:23,716 --> 00:06:27,011
He strongly opposes        
       any ban on this material.

112
00:07:11,264 --> 00:07:13,891
[Hanako]   We showed Ogino      
      one of Shinji's comic books.

113
00:08:03,483 --> 00:08:05,359
[Hanako]   Japan isn't        
      the only democratic country

114
00:08:05,401 --> 00:08:07,278
where children are sexualized,

115
00:08:07,320 --> 00:08:10,447
but it is among the slowest    
          to change its laws.

116
00:08:10,490 --> 00:08:13,242
The age of consent here      
              is only 13,

117
00:08:13,283 --> 00:08:15,703
the lowest among         
           developed nations.

118
00:08:15,745 --> 00:08:18,122
Online, consumers can       
               and do buy

119
00:08:18,164 --> 00:08:19,874
childlike sex dolls,

120
00:08:19,916 --> 00:08:21,626
something             
       that's also legal in most

121
00:08:21,667 --> 00:08:22,668
of the United States.

122
00:08:24,086 --> 00:08:25,463
Other businesses here offer

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00:08:25,505 --> 00:08:27,131
"high school girl         
            walking dates,"

124
00:08:27,173 --> 00:08:30,468
where older men          
     pay to spend time with minors.

125
00:08:30,510 --> 00:08:32,803
This fetishization        
         of youth can be traced

126
00:08:32,845 --> 00:08:34,138
back through history.

127
00:08:34,180 --> 00:08:36,182
Art from the 1600s to 1800s

128
00:08:36,224 --> 00:08:38,226
show adolescent boys       
             called   wakashu

129
00:08:38,267 --> 00:08:41,479
dressing as women         
     and having sex with older men,

130
00:08:41,521 --> 00:08:43,523
while girls as young as 12    
            were considered

131
00:08:43,564 --> 00:08:45,274
sexually mature enough      
           to be courtesans.

132
00:08:48,819 --> 00:08:51,781
Today, comics showing       
      the violent objectification

133
00:08:51,822 --> 00:08:54,450
of children can be picked up   
          at adult bookshops,

134
00:08:54,492 --> 00:08:56,702
often for less than 10 bucks.

135
00:08:56,744 --> 00:08:58,329
We asked a bunch          
           of these stores

136
00:08:58,371 --> 00:09:00,957
whether we can film inside,    
     but none of them said yes,

137
00:09:00,998 --> 00:09:03,626
so we actually have to go     
     inside with a hidden camera

138
00:09:03,668 --> 00:09:07,046
and see just kind of how      
     on display these books are.

139
00:09:08,130 --> 00:09:10,299
The stores don't want       
         to risk bad publicity,

140
00:09:10,341 --> 00:09:11,884
and we can see why.

141
00:09:11,926 --> 00:09:13,594
We visited a few of them,

142
00:09:13,635 --> 00:09:15,137
but we can't show you       
         what's on the shelves

143
00:09:15,179 --> 00:09:16,722
because it's too         
           sexually graphic.

144
00:09:18,474 --> 00:09:22,895
This whole aisle here       
        is just sexual abuse,

145
00:09:22,937 --> 00:09:25,815
child pornography.

146
00:09:25,856 --> 00:09:27,650
The genres            
        that sexualize children

147
00:09:27,692 --> 00:09:29,318
and sometimes depicts abuse    
               are called

148
00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,404
"Shotacon" and "Lolicon,"

149
00:09:31,445 --> 00:09:34,240
after the classic         
         Western novel   Lolita.

150
00:09:34,282 --> 00:09:36,158
Some of these stories       
           get pretty brutal,

151
00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,787
involving violence,        
        incest, and humiliation.

152
00:09:39,829 --> 00:09:42,623
You see, this girl         
         is a sixth grader,

153
00:09:42,665 --> 00:09:44,542
and just a lot           
         of repeated scenes

154
00:09:44,584 --> 00:09:46,961
of her getting raped.

155
00:09:47,003 --> 00:09:49,755
uneasy music

156
00:09:56,596 --> 00:09:59,265
[Kazuna]   speaking Japanese

157
00:10:04,478 --> 00:10:06,606
[Hanako]   Kazuna Kanajiri      
          runs an organization

158
00:10:06,647 --> 00:10:08,774
that helps victims        
          of sexual violence,

159
00:10:08,816 --> 00:10:10,776
including kids who have      
         been abused or forced

160
00:10:10,818 --> 00:10:13,529
into child pornography.

161
00:10:13,571 --> 00:10:15,990
We showed her one of       
     the comics depicting children.

162
00:10:17,116 --> 00:10:19,952
[Kazuna]   speaking Japanese

163
00:10:31,172 --> 00:10:33,966
Is there a link          
        between this material

164
00:10:34,008 --> 00:10:37,303
and instances of real abuse    
          against children?

165
00:11:26,977 --> 00:11:29,313
[Hanako]   Takashi Kato       
      was once a massive consumer

166
00:11:29,355 --> 00:11:31,565
of this pornographic manga.

167
00:11:31,607 --> 00:11:34,568
He was also            
       a serial child sex abuser.

168
00:11:34,610 --> 00:11:36,445
[Takashi]   speaking Japanese

169
00:11:45,621 --> 00:11:47,373
[Hanako]              
       Kato agreed to speak to us

170
00:11:47,415 --> 00:11:48,874
because he says          
        he wants to stop others

171
00:11:48,916 --> 00:11:51,043
from preying on children.

172
00:11:51,085 --> 00:11:53,879
He says he's assaulted      
           at least 11 kids,

173
00:11:53,921 --> 00:11:56,048
including abusing girls      
               in public,

174
00:11:56,090 --> 00:11:58,050
teaching boys to masturbate,

175
00:11:58,092 --> 00:12:00,803
and paying children        
            for sex abroad.

176
00:12:00,845 --> 00:12:03,639
When and how did you realize    
            that you had

177
00:12:03,681 --> 00:12:05,975
a sexual desire for children?

178
00:12:06,016 --> 00:12:07,810
[Takashi]   speaking Japanese

179
00:12:31,792 --> 00:12:34,587
How did reading this manga     
      change your understanding

180
00:12:34,628 --> 00:12:35,796
of sex and children?

181
00:13:05,993 --> 00:13:09,121
Do you think this type of media 
     should be banned in Japan?

182
00:13:24,303 --> 00:13:26,806
[Hanako]   Kato eventually      
           turned himself in.

183
00:13:26,847 --> 00:13:29,391
But instead of prison, he got   
        four years of probation

184
00:13:29,433 --> 00:13:31,143
and community service

185
00:13:31,185 --> 00:13:32,770
because he had          
           no criminal record

186
00:13:32,812 --> 00:13:34,814
and his victims          
           never complained.

187
00:13:35,439 --> 00:13:37,983
He doesn't know          
     what happened to the children.

188
00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:41,320
[Takashi]   speaking Japanese

189
00:13:59,421 --> 00:14:01,131
[Hanako]   Despite          
      the new Children's Ministry

190
00:14:01,173 --> 00:14:03,342
opening next year,        
            there's no plan

191
00:14:03,384 --> 00:14:05,553
to ban this abusive manga.

192
00:14:05,594 --> 00:14:08,389
Freedom of expression is     
     enshrined in the constitution.

193
00:14:08,430 --> 00:14:10,599
But child's rights advocates   
          warn that this isn't

194
00:14:10,641 --> 00:14:13,561
just a problem for Japan.

195
00:14:13,602 --> 00:14:16,522
Material that's legal here can 
     and will be viewed everywhere.

196
00:14:18,065 --> 00:14:20,234
[Kazuna]   speaking Japanese

197
00:14:58,147 --> 00:15:00,983
driving electronic music

198
00:15:05,905 --> 00:15:09,366
[assorted gunfire]

199
00:15:09,408 --> 00:15:12,369
tense music

200
00:15:26,300 --> 00:15:27,760
We're in Fort Benning, Georgia,

201
00:15:27,801 --> 00:15:29,845
at the massive Army base      
            that's here,

202
00:15:29,887 --> 00:15:33,390
and we're at the African      
         Land Forces Summit.

203
00:15:33,432 --> 00:15:36,226
There are generals        
         and military officials

204
00:15:36,268 --> 00:15:38,354
from over 40 African nations   
                 here,

205
00:15:38,395 --> 00:15:39,688
and it's something that      
                the Army

206
00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:41,106
organizes every year.

207
00:15:41,148 --> 00:15:43,525
And it's their way        
        of kind of strengthening

208
00:15:43,567 --> 00:15:45,694
their relationships        
     with their friends and allies

209
00:15:45,736 --> 00:15:47,363
and partners in Africa.

210
00:15:47,404 --> 00:15:49,365
This is how America        
              can compete

211
00:15:49,406 --> 00:15:51,075
in the great power competition

212
00:15:51,116 --> 00:15:53,118
and not lose out to the likes   
        of Russia and China.

213
00:15:54,995 --> 00:15:56,789
With the             
     youngest population on Earth,

214
00:15:56,830 --> 00:15:58,916
vast tracts of          
           undeveloped space,

215
00:15:58,958 --> 00:16:01,126
and trillions           
         in untapped resources,

216
00:16:01,168 --> 00:16:04,505
Africa is the final frontier   
         in the global economy.

217
00:16:04,546 --> 00:16:06,256
All that unrealized potential

218
00:16:06,298 --> 00:16:08,509
has made the continent      
         a new strategic focus

219
00:16:08,550 --> 00:16:10,010
for the world's major powers,

220
00:16:10,052 --> 00:16:12,930
nowhere more so          
           than West Africa,

221
00:16:12,972 --> 00:16:15,516
where the U.S., China,      
       and Russia, among others,

222
00:16:15,557 --> 00:16:17,768
are competing           
        for political influence

223
00:16:17,810 --> 00:16:20,813
and natural resources like    
       timber, oil, and minerals,

224
00:16:20,854 --> 00:16:22,272
including bauxite,

225
00:16:22,314 --> 00:16:24,775
a raw material          
          for making aluminum.

226
00:16:24,817 --> 00:16:26,527
But the scramble         
            for West Africa

227
00:16:26,568 --> 00:16:28,529
is getting more complex      
              by the day.

228
00:16:28,570 --> 00:16:30,239
[explosion]

229
00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,450
Violence is spiking,       
       extremism is on the rise,

230
00:16:33,492 --> 00:16:36,495
and political instability     
      is spiraling out of control.

231
00:16:36,537 --> 00:16:38,831
In recent years,         
         military-backed coups

232
00:16:38,872 --> 00:16:42,334
have overthrown          
     ten West African governments.

233
00:16:42,376 --> 00:16:44,336
Major General           
          Andrew Rohling runs

234
00:16:44,377 --> 00:16:46,963
American military partnerships 
               in Africa.

235
00:16:47,006 --> 00:16:49,133
The two years he's held      
          that post have been

236
00:16:49,174 --> 00:16:51,427
the most chaotic         
           in recent history.

237
00:16:51,468 --> 00:16:53,345
Should the U.S.          
         be training leaders

238
00:16:53,386 --> 00:16:55,514
from unstable African nations?

239
00:16:55,556 --> 00:16:56,515
Yes, I think we should.

240
00:16:56,557 --> 00:16:58,183
Because if they're unstable,

241
00:16:58,225 --> 00:17:00,602
they're gonna fall off       
      to one side or the other.

242
00:17:00,644 --> 00:17:02,271
I would rather have them fall   
            onto the side

243
00:17:02,312 --> 00:17:04,148
of the United States        
     and our allies and partners

244
00:17:04,189 --> 00:17:05,774
than to just ignore them.

245
00:17:05,816 --> 00:17:07,651
That gives them          
    an easy path into a direction

246
00:17:07,693 --> 00:17:09,194
we wish them not to go.

247
00:17:09,695 --> 00:17:11,822
[Suroosh]             
   The U.S., Russia, and China

248
00:17:11,864 --> 00:17:13,490
are working            
        every angle to maintain

249
00:17:13,532 --> 00:17:15,409
their access and influence.

250
00:17:15,451 --> 00:17:17,578
For America,           
          those angles include

251
00:17:17,619 --> 00:17:20,706
displays of military might    
       and Southern hospitality.

252
00:17:20,748 --> 00:17:22,416
The pastries are good, right?

253
00:17:22,458 --> 00:17:23,542
They're very fresh.

254
00:17:23,584 --> 00:17:25,210
-Yes.               
               -Yeah.

255
00:17:25,252 --> 00:17:27,379
[Suroosh]             
        ...and an American take

256
00:17:27,421 --> 00:17:29,048
on a true African staple.

257
00:17:54,031 --> 00:17:56,408
I think my wife          
          might like this.

258
00:17:56,450 --> 00:17:59,244
Tyler Perry,   Good Deeds.

259
00:17:59,787 --> 00:18:01,663
[Suroosh]   For all         
        the goodwill on safari,

260
00:18:01,705 --> 00:18:03,665
the Fort Benning Summit      
            was overshadowed

261
00:18:03,707 --> 00:18:04,917
by a shocking statistic.

262
00:18:08,378 --> 00:18:10,881
Of the ten recent coups      
            in West Africa,

263
00:18:10,923 --> 00:18:13,258
eight were carried out      
     by soldiers trained by America

264
00:18:13,300 --> 00:18:15,094
at events like this.

265
00:18:15,677 --> 00:18:18,722
The apparent link between     
        U.S. training and coups

266
00:18:18,764 --> 00:18:21,809
poses an important question:   
       does American involvement

267
00:18:21,850 --> 00:18:25,229
in Africa promote peace      
     and prosperity, as it claims,

268
00:18:25,270 --> 00:18:27,439
or might it do more harm     
               than good?

269
00:18:30,484 --> 00:18:34,071
quiet synth music

270
00:18:34,113 --> 00:18:36,573
We're in a small West African   
       country called Guinea,

271
00:18:36,615 --> 00:18:38,575
where a guy            
        named Colonel Doumbouya

272
00:18:38,617 --> 00:18:40,953
left training           
      with the U.S. Special Forces

273
00:18:40,994 --> 00:18:42,955
in the middle of the night,    
      while everyone was sleeping,

274
00:18:42,996 --> 00:18:44,748
stormed              
        the presidential palace,

275
00:18:44,790 --> 00:18:47,417
and orchestrated a coup d'état.

276
00:18:47,459 --> 00:18:50,129
The coup last year         
       overthrew Alpha Condé,

277
00:18:50,170 --> 00:18:52,881
Guinea's first          
     democratically elected leader.

278
00:18:52,923 --> 00:18:55,134
The U.S. condemned it       
         and no longer invites

279
00:18:55,175 --> 00:18:57,469
Guinea to events like       
      the summit at Fort Benning.

280
00:18:57,511 --> 00:18:59,638
But when it comes         
          to Guinean politics,

281
00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:01,223
nothing is simple.

282
00:19:01,265 --> 00:19:04,059
Before the coup, Condé,      
       with backing from Russia,

283
00:19:04,101 --> 00:19:05,811
had rewritten           
            the constitution

284
00:19:05,853 --> 00:19:07,646
to stay in office         
           for an extra term.

285
00:19:09,314 --> 00:19:11,024
Guineans took to the streets,

286
00:19:11,066 --> 00:19:13,485
protesting the move        
            as undemocratic.

287
00:19:14,611 --> 00:19:16,488
Colonel Doumbouya,        
          who was Condé's own

288
00:19:16,530 --> 00:19:17,865
right-hand man at the time,

289
00:19:17,906 --> 00:19:19,908
saw an opportunity        
            to seize power.

290
00:19:19,950 --> 00:19:22,202
speaking French

291
00:19:26,915 --> 00:19:28,417
[Suroosh]             
           To some observers,

292
00:19:28,458 --> 00:19:30,127
it looked like Doumbouya's    
           American trainers

293
00:19:30,169 --> 00:19:32,004
had been involved         
            in the overthrow

294
00:19:32,045 --> 00:19:34,006
of his Russia-backed boss.

295
00:19:34,423 --> 00:19:36,675
There's no evidence of a link   
            between the coup

296
00:19:36,717 --> 00:19:38,385
and the U.S. training,

297
00:19:38,427 --> 00:19:39,845
but I asked            
         Doumbouya's spokesman

298
00:19:39,887 --> 00:19:41,430
for the official line.

299
00:19:41,471 --> 00:19:43,891
Did the U.S. military       
        offer any assistance

300
00:19:43,932 --> 00:19:45,350
or play a role in the coup?

301
00:19:45,392 --> 00:19:46,852
speaking native language

302
00:20:21,178 --> 00:20:22,721
[Suroosh]   Guinea has        
      the world's largest deposits

303
00:20:22,763 --> 00:20:24,223
of bauxite.

304
00:20:24,264 --> 00:20:26,058
Under President Condé,      
               Russia got

305
00:20:26,099 --> 00:20:27,893
the biggest share         
          and the best deals.

306
00:20:27,935 --> 00:20:30,395
Its state-backed         
        aluminum company, Rusal,

307
00:20:30,437 --> 00:20:32,564
has a vast footprint       
            in the country.

308
00:20:32,606 --> 00:20:35,567
Now Condé is gone,        
     and Colonel Doumbouya's junta

309
00:20:35,609 --> 00:20:38,403
is engaged in a standoff     
       with Rusal over ownership

310
00:20:38,445 --> 00:20:40,364
and contracts for its mines.

311
00:20:40,405 --> 00:20:42,407
Much of its stock         
            is now in limbo.

312
00:20:42,449 --> 00:20:44,910
For Russia, the coup       
           was a major blow.

313
00:20:48,163 --> 00:20:50,582
So we just drove          
         about 15 kilometers

314
00:20:50,624 --> 00:20:52,709
from Conakry

315
00:20:52,751 --> 00:20:56,922
to the site of the Rusal mines.

316
00:20:56,964 --> 00:20:58,507
And as soon as we         
          got to the area--

317
00:20:58,548 --> 00:21:01,385
this is the area--         
    it got nicer all of a sudden.

318
00:21:01,426 --> 00:21:03,595
There's no open sewers.      
        The roads are paved.

319
00:21:03,637 --> 00:21:05,389
Let's keep moving.         
       A guy just clocked us,

320
00:21:05,430 --> 00:21:07,432
and he's on the phone.

321
00:21:07,474 --> 00:21:09,017
He definitely saw us come in.

322
00:21:10,060 --> 00:21:11,270
Is the guy still following us?

323
00:21:15,482 --> 00:21:18,026
So that-              
      that's all bauxite there.

324
00:21:18,068 --> 00:21:22,072
That big, long,          
         reddish-brown mound

325
00:21:22,114 --> 00:21:23,615
is bauxite,

326
00:21:23,657 --> 00:21:25,742
the Russian stockpile.

327
00:21:25,784 --> 00:21:27,452
We can't actually         
          get close to it,

328
00:21:27,494 --> 00:21:29,371
so we're going to go on a boat   
    and see how close we can get.

329
00:21:33,041 --> 00:21:36,461
Bonjour.   Suroosh.

330
00:21:36,503 --> 00:21:38,005
Mamadou Bah monitors

331
00:21:38,046 --> 00:21:39,506
Guinea's mining industry

332
00:21:39,548 --> 00:21:42,134
for a local non-governmental   
             organization.

333
00:21:42,175 --> 00:21:46,138
[Mamadou]             
            speaking French

334
00:21:50,309 --> 00:21:52,978
How does it feel to have      
        your country be a...

335
00:21:53,020 --> 00:21:55,814
a battleground           
        for these big powers?

336
00:21:55,856 --> 00:21:58,734
[Mamadou]             
            speaking French

337
00:22:25,469 --> 00:22:27,095
[Suroosh]   Despite         
        all its mineral wealth,

338
00:22:27,137 --> 00:22:28,513
Guinea is one of         
         the poorest countries

339
00:22:28,555 --> 00:22:30,349
on Earth.

340
00:22:30,390 --> 00:22:33,477
So far, Colonel Doumbouya     
         and his military junta

341
00:22:33,518 --> 00:22:35,103
have done nothing         
            to change that.

342
00:22:36,063 --> 00:22:37,856
[gunshot]

343
00:22:37,898 --> 00:22:40,067
Instead, they have        
        been accused of eroding

344
00:22:40,108 --> 00:22:43,070
the democratic ideals       
        they promised to uphold.

345
00:22:43,111 --> 00:22:46,531
In May, the junta announced    
     a three-year transition period

346
00:22:46,573 --> 00:22:48,367
to civilian rule, cementing

347
00:22:48,408 --> 00:22:49,868
Doumbouya's grip on power.

348
00:22:49,910 --> 00:22:51,828
[gunshots]

349
00:22:51,870 --> 00:22:54,373
Pro-democracy protests,      
       led by the National Front

350
00:22:54,414 --> 00:22:56,208
for the Defense          
          of the Constitution,

351
00:22:56,249 --> 00:22:58,502
or FNDC, had been banned...

352
00:22:58,543 --> 00:23:00,045
speaking native language

353
00:23:00,087 --> 00:23:01,171
[Suroosh]   ...and its members    
             are the target

354
00:23:01,213 --> 00:23:02,714
of a crackdown by the junta.

355
00:23:02,756 --> 00:23:05,550
speaking native language

356
00:23:08,512 --> 00:23:10,180
[Suroosh] We're following     
   these guys on the motorcycles.

357
00:23:10,222 --> 00:23:11,890
They're from the FNDC.

358
00:23:11,932 --> 00:23:14,309
We're kind             
      of in hostile territory,

359
00:23:14,351 --> 00:23:16,228
so they're taking us        
        to a secret location

360
00:23:16,269 --> 00:23:18,230
so they can talk to us.

361
00:23:18,271 --> 00:23:20,565
What's been happening       
           with the protests

362
00:23:20,607 --> 00:23:23,735
with your friends         
          who are in jail?

363
00:23:23,777 --> 00:23:26,738
speaking French

364
00:23:41,461 --> 00:23:45,090
When you say children are being 
             taken away

365
00:23:45,132 --> 00:23:47,050
from their homes,         
          how old are they?

366
00:23:50,637 --> 00:23:51,680
[translator] From seven years.

367
00:23:53,306 --> 00:23:56,768
[Suroosh] Are these tactics    
        in Doumbouya's regime

368
00:23:56,810 --> 00:23:58,645
worse than what Alpha Condé    
             was doing?

369
00:23:58,687 --> 00:24:00,605
[Sadio]   speaking French

370
00:24:04,651 --> 00:24:05,652
[Suroosh]             
              That night,

371
00:24:05,694 --> 00:24:07,779
the roundups started again.

372
00:24:12,742 --> 00:24:15,120
Go, go, go, go, go.

373
00:24:35,849 --> 00:24:38,226
upbeat drum music

374
00:24:38,268 --> 00:24:40,437
Despite the criticism       
            and complexity,

375
00:24:40,479 --> 00:24:44,149
the U.S. is doubling down     
      on its engagement in Africa.

376
00:24:44,191 --> 00:24:46,318
This summer, the U.S. led     
         the biggest-ever show

377
00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:47,736
of force on the continent:

378
00:24:47,777 --> 00:24:49,654
African Lion 2022.

379
00:24:49,696 --> 00:24:52,032
[officer calling]

380
00:24:52,073 --> 00:24:53,825
Thousands             
      of African soldiers trained

381
00:24:53,867 --> 00:24:55,869
alongside Americans        
              over an area

382
00:24:55,911 --> 00:24:57,954
twice the size of California.

383
00:24:57,996 --> 00:25:00,457
Until recently,          
        General Stephen Townsend

384
00:25:00,499 --> 00:25:02,417
was the head           
        of U.S. Africa command.

385
00:25:02,459 --> 00:25:04,669
This year, he put         
        Russia front and center

386
00:25:04,711 --> 00:25:06,963
as America's main adversary    
               in Africa

387
00:25:07,005 --> 00:25:08,965
during his testimony       
          to the U.S. Senate.

388
00:25:09,007 --> 00:25:12,636
Our competitors clearly see    
      Africa's rich potential.

389
00:25:12,677 --> 00:25:14,179
Russia stokes conflict,

390
00:25:14,221 --> 00:25:15,680
pursuing a faded aspiration

391
00:25:15,722 --> 00:25:17,182
to imperial power.

392
00:25:17,224 --> 00:25:19,559
dramatic music

393
00:25:19,601 --> 00:25:21,853
[jets roaring overhead]

394
00:25:23,688 --> 00:25:25,357
Fire.

395
00:25:29,152 --> 00:25:31,196
This is some            
     of America's most powerful

396
00:25:31,238 --> 00:25:33,156
military hardware on display

397
00:25:33,198 --> 00:25:37,035
basically to impress, you know, 
      eight generals upstairs.

398
00:25:39,704 --> 00:25:43,542
And as the threats         
   from Russia and China increase,

399
00:25:43,583 --> 00:25:45,335
exercises like this        
            are becoming

400
00:25:45,377 --> 00:25:47,504
a bigger and bigger        
        priority for America

401
00:25:47,546 --> 00:25:50,382
to seek access           
      and influence in Africa.

402
00:25:50,423 --> 00:25:51,800
[officer]             
       Target group number three,

403
00:25:51,841 --> 00:25:53,677
special instructions        
           at my command.

404
00:25:53,718 --> 00:25:54,719
Over.

405
00:25:54,761 --> 00:25:56,555
[officer]   Expend all.

406
00:25:56,596 --> 00:25:58,932
[gunfire]

407
00:26:01,935 --> 00:26:04,854
quiet synth music

408
00:26:08,066 --> 00:26:10,068
Okay, we're going to try      
   and find General Townsend now.

409
00:26:10,110 --> 00:26:11,987
He's the four-star general     
       overseeing all of this,

410
00:26:12,028 --> 00:26:13,321
and he's about to retire.

411
00:26:13,363 --> 00:26:14,573
Let's see if we can        
         catch up with him.

412
00:26:17,284 --> 00:26:18,994
In your statement, you talked   
      about the growing threat

413
00:26:19,035 --> 00:26:20,370
of Russia, and I was wondering

414
00:26:20,412 --> 00:26:22,330
if you could speak a little bit 
              about how

415
00:26:22,372 --> 00:26:24,833
what we saw today relates     
           to this threat.

416
00:26:24,874 --> 00:26:27,294
[Townsend] I would say look    
          at Ukraine today,

417
00:26:27,335 --> 00:26:29,838
and what you see          
           on one side is,

418
00:26:29,879 --> 00:26:33,425
you see an aggressive Russia,

419
00:26:33,466 --> 00:26:37,429
without cause,           
        unlawfully attacking

420
00:26:37,470 --> 00:26:39,764
an adjacent sovereign nation.

421
00:26:39,806 --> 00:26:42,183
And you see on the other side,   
        the broader alliance

422
00:26:42,225 --> 00:26:44,853
from the world           
        trying to help defend

423
00:26:44,894 --> 00:26:46,438
and protect that country.

424
00:26:46,479 --> 00:26:48,940
So I would say that        
          this exercise here,

425
00:26:48,982 --> 00:26:50,859
although not focused       
            on any country,

426
00:26:50,900 --> 00:26:52,611
is about building         
             a partnership.

427
00:26:52,652 --> 00:26:55,905
And that will come in handy    
     against some threat, some day.

428
00:26:55,947 --> 00:26:58,408
There have been          
        U.S.-trained officers

429
00:26:58,450 --> 00:27:00,619
that orchestrated coups      
      in their-their countries

430
00:27:00,660 --> 00:27:03,371
in Africa in recent years.

431
00:27:03,413 --> 00:27:05,582
Isn't it a dangerous game     
       to be creating officers

432
00:27:05,624 --> 00:27:07,083
from unstable nations?

433
00:27:07,125 --> 00:27:08,335
No, I don't--

434
00:27:08,376 --> 00:27:10,128
I think it's actually       
            the opposite.

435
00:27:10,170 --> 00:27:12,339
Every time U.S. forces train,

436
00:27:12,380 --> 00:27:14,841
we also train things like     
       the law of armed conflict,

437
00:27:14,883 --> 00:27:17,052
humanitarian values,

438
00:27:17,093 --> 00:27:18,928
and the importance        
          of civilian control

439
00:27:18,970 --> 00:27:20,472
of the military.

440
00:27:20,513 --> 00:27:23,391
So I think the more training    
       we do, the less likely

441
00:27:23,433 --> 00:27:24,809
we'll have outcomes like that.

442
00:27:24,851 --> 00:27:25,977
-Thank you.            
             -Thank you.

443
00:27:26,019 --> 00:27:27,228
Sir, General...

444
00:27:27,270 --> 00:27:28,355
[Suroosh]             
     Enjoy your retirement, sir.

445
00:27:28,396 --> 00:27:29,689
Thank you.

446
00:27:29,731 --> 00:27:31,066
[Suroosh]             
      Shortly after this exercise,

447
00:27:31,107 --> 00:27:34,152
Townsend retired as head     
        of U.S. Africa Command.

448
00:27:34,653 --> 00:27:36,988
His successor will face      
              a continent

449
00:27:37,030 --> 00:27:39,324
strained and divided       
         by rival great powers

450
00:27:39,366 --> 00:27:41,826
like at no time          
          since the Cold War.

451
00:27:41,868 --> 00:27:44,788
The U.S. has           
     a checkered history in Africa,

452
00:27:44,829 --> 00:27:47,332
but with Russia and China     
     aggressively pursuing inroads

453
00:27:47,374 --> 00:27:49,584
on the continent,         
            America's battle

454
00:27:49,626 --> 00:27:53,004
for hearts and minds in Africa 
     is only just getting started.