Progressive observers were particularly pleased with the film . Common Dreams had a highly positive response to the film , comparing it to the " red pill " of the '' Matrix '' series , a comparison Curtis appreciated . Commentary in '' The Village Voice '' was also mostly favorable , noting , " As partisan filmmaking , it is often brilliant and sometimes hilarious – a superior version of '' Syriana '' . " '' The Nation '' , while offering a detailed critique on the film 's content , said of the film itself " it is arguably the most important film about the ' war on terrorism ' since the events of September 11 . " Among conservative and neoconservative critics in the United States , '' The Power of Nightmares '' has been described as " conspiracy theory " , anti-American or both . David Asman of FoxNews.com said , " We wish we did n't have to keep presenting examples of how the European media have become obsessively anti-American . But they keep pushing the barrier , now to the point of absurdity . " His views were shared by commentator Clive Davis , ending his commentary on the film for '' National Review '' by saying , " British producers , hooked on Chomskyite visions of ' Amerika ' as the fount of all evil , are clearly not interested in even beginning to dig for the truth . " Other commentators have variously described the film as pushing a conspiracy theory . Davis and British commentator David Aaronovitch both explicitly labelled the film 's message as a conspiracy theory , with the latter saying of Curtis " his argument is as subtle as a house-brick . " Attacks in this vein continued after the 7 July 2005 London bombings , with the Christian Broadcasting Network referencing the film as a source for claims by the " British left " that " the U.S. War on Terror was a fraud " , and the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council calling it " the loopiest , most extreme anti-war documentary series ever sponsored by the BBC . " In '' The Shadows in the Cave '' , Curtis emphasises that he does not discount the possibility of any terrorist activity taking place , but that the threat of terrorism had been greatly exaggerated . He responded to accusations of creating a conspiracy theory by saying he believes the alleged use of fear as a force in politics is not the result of a conspiracy but rather the subjects of the film " have stumbled on it . " Peter Bergen , writing for '' The Nation '' , offered a detailed critique of the film . Bergen wrote that even if al-Qaeda is not as organised as the Bush administration stressed , it is still a very dangerous force due to the fanaticism of its followers and the resources available to bin Laden . On Curtis 's claim that al-Qaeda was a creation of neoconservative politicians , Bergen said , " This is nonsense . There is substantial evidence that Al Qaeda was founded in 1988 by bin Laden and a small group of like-minded militants , and that the group would mushroom into the secretive , disciplined organisation that implemented the 9/11 attacks . " Bergen further claimed that Curtis 's arguments serve as a defence of Bush 's failure to capture bin Laden in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and his ignoring warnings of a terrorist attack prior to 11 September
7 July 2005 London bombings
7 July 2005 London bombings
The Power of Nightmares