Posted on 05/29/2004 9:13:24 AM PDT by Dane
Posted on Sat, May. 29, 2004
Berg talks of Iraq's business potential on Michael Moore footage
JASON STRAZIUSO
Associated Press
In a 16-minute interview shot for Michael Moore's latest film, slain American Nicholas Berg talks about his travels to Africa and the work he hoped to find as an independent businessman in Iraq, Berg's brother said Saturday.
Moore's crew shot the footage at an Iraqi business conference in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 4, David Berg said. Nicholas Berg's decapitated body was found in Baghdad on May 8, and a video of his killing was posted on an Islamic militant Web site several days later.
Moore on Thursday confirmed he had footage of Berg - shot for the anti-President Bush film "Fahrenheit 9/11" - but said he would share it only with the family. Nicholas Berg's brother and sister praised Moore for that, and said they would also keep the footage private.
David Berg said it was "weird seeing Nick talk," but described the interview footage as dry. He said the first thing he noticed was that his younger brother - who was most comfortable in casual clothes - wore a suit.
"It's one of the few times I've seen him dressed up, and he looked really good," David Berg said.
The interview, which was not conducted by Moore, centered on the technical work Berg hoped to find repairing radio towers on behalf of his company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Berg, 26 when he died, also talks about humanitarian work he did in Uganda and Kenya.
"Nick seemed to be fairly conscious of using this thing to promote his business," David Berg said. "(The interviewer) does ask him at one point about the money and he said no one's denying there's money to be made. But it's very clear when you watch it, Nick knew he wasn't going to make a lot of money."
Moore said he had considered using some of the footage in his film but that it got edited out, David Berg said. Aware of the footage they had, some of Moore's staffers cried when they heard about Berg's death, the filmmaker told David Berg.
Moore sent copies of the footage to David Berg in New Jersey and sister Sara Berg in Virginia. Their parents will see the video after returning to their suburban Philadelphia home from vacation, David Berg said.
"Fahrenheit 9/11," which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, accuses the Bush administration of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11, 2001, and fanning fears of more attacks to secure American support for the Iraq war.
Given Moore's political leanings, David Berg said he was "really nervous" about what the footage of his brother might show. Nicholas Berg was in favor of bringing democracy to the Middle East, his family has said, but David Berg said his brother wasn't overtly political.
"He went to Iraq because he had certain beliefs about helping people in messed up situations, but it's not like he was trying to help the Bush administration," David Berg said.
David Berg said Moore has handled the situation with "dignity, respect and discipline."
"Michael Moore has really been a total class act with this whole thing," David Berg said. "He could have sold this to the media or stuck it in his movie."
Ping
finally makes sense.
New Berg information.
16 minute interview? I thought it was 20 minutes...What happened to the other 4 minutes?
RD
Great post. I was wondering about this. It's respectful that Moore let the family handle the footage. Maybe he's got a little good in him after all... or not.
He's not "anti-war" -- He's anti-American.
At least David Berg is honest enough to say Nick wasn't about helping the Bush Administration.....but just WAIT til David finds out Moore used Nick as either a cameraman/reporter or "bugger". He won't be thinking Moore is such a class act!
Yes, indeed. It was 20 minutes...now i's 16 minutes....hmmmmm....shades of Nixon.
gag
something about this is making little red flags pop up in my mind. can't put my finger on it yet, but... there is something really really bad in this Berg-Moore connection.
Berg sure got around.
I need to discuss this
news with someone before
I comment further.
The plot thickens...
Michael Moore is actually rooting for the terrorists in Iraq. But with all these coincidences about Berg(e-mail address used by mousawwi(9/11 20 th hijacker), Berg refusing a trip home out of Baghdad, etc.etc.) something doesn't add up, IMO.
"Moore said he had considered using some of the footage in his film but that it got edited out, David Berg said."
Yep - a class act all right! He did use some of the footage that got edited out.
I still think this is a very strange coincidence that the 1 guy Fatso's crew interviewed got his head sawed off. Just wondering WHY they picked him. I think the 'supporting Bush' is so much BS. Also wondering what Fatso's connection with the enemy really is.
Which contradicts the public statements by his father, Michael Berg.
It is not unusual to give a ballpark figure for an amount of time like that.
I think this does make sense. But if it's at a conference, why does the family wish to keep it "private"?
If as purported, it most likely is indeed dry and nothing sinister.
It IS odd that Moore told the family that his staff knew of the footage and it stuck in their minds enough that they cried upon hearing of Berg's death, but still did not notify the family immediately about the existance of possibly the last known video of Nick BEFORE his heinous murder. But that could be just typical unthinking libs.
It also could explain the tipster to Salon. Another attendee knew that Moore's crew was filming that day and that Berg was there and that footage existed, and after two weeks when it became clear Moore wasn't going to say anything this person told the Salon reporter. That's how the tipster would know about the footage, but not be affilitate with Moore or his movie.
It does appear to be a coincidence. Too bad about the brother raving about what a swell guy Michael Moore is. Ack
(Interesting that brother now says Nick wasn't that political after all. Hollinger (name?) who worked for Berg said he talked about politics all the time)
How did Michael Moore find out about Nicholas Berg's pending trip in the first place?
And there still needs to be some explanation of why Moore, the classy person he is, never mentioned this film until AFTER Salon.com published it's piece on Thursday, when Moore was forced to contact the family and admit he had it.
Statements as this are far too common amongst the Left. These people are a blight on everything good and decent in our country.
In the article this thread is based on it says Moore was filming an Iraqi business conference that Nick Berg attended on business opportunities over in Iraq.
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