The movie "Zero Dark Thirty" opens in theaters, Friday, 1/11/13. It is a chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks. Saint Mary's College associate professor of political science Marc Belanger, whose expertise includes U.S. foreign policy and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, plans to see the movie Friday afternoon, after which he could do interviews. The movie is controversial because of the way the film depicts the role that "enhanced interrogation" techniques (what some refer to as torture) like water-boarding played in the process to locate bin Laden. Some believe the film supports the view of some Bush Administration officials that these methods were vital to finding him. The film makers have disagreed with this and argued that it was important to present these methods as part of what was done in the name of the war on terrorism, but that they are not taking a position on what value it had.

Belanger would be happy to talk about the film and larger issues it raises about the methods used after 9-11.

(Belanger is pronounced "bell-han-jhay," think French)