Posted on 05/27/2004 9:26:51 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
May 27, 2004 | Filmmaker Michael Moore filmed an interview with American Nicholas Berg in the course of producing his documentary film "Fahrenheit 9/11" before Berg left for Iraq, where he was taken hostage and killed, Moore confirmed to Salon in a statement Thursday. The 20 minutes of footage does not appear in the final version of "Fahrenheit 911," according to the statement.
Word of the footage reached Salon through a source unaffiliated with Moore or his film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which is reported to feature stark images of U.S. civilians and soldiers grappling with conditions in war-torn Iraq, as well as examining the relationship between President George W. Bush and the bin Laden family. It received the Palme d'Or, the Cannes Film Festival's highest honor, on Saturday.
In a statement widely circulated by Moore's people after an initial request for comment by Salon, Moore said, "We have an interview with Nick Berg. It was approximately 20 minutes long. We are not releasing it to the media. It is not in the film. We are dealing privately with the family." Moore's camp declined to comment further on any aspect of the interview. Because the footage is not in the film, a spokeswoman for Miramax Films, the production company behind "Fahrenheit 9/11," said the company had no comment.
It was not clear from Moore's statement whether footage from the interview with Berg had ever been included in early cuts of "Fahrenheit 9/11." Reports about a film industry controversy surrounding distribution of the film first hit the news on May 5, a week before Berg's death. The film officially screened for the public and the press for the first time during the Cannes festival on May 17.
The news that Moore spoke to Berg while he was still in the United States only adds to the mystery surrounding the young man's presence in Iraq and tragic death. The interview was shot before the 26-year-old Berg left for Iraq late last year as a private contractor in the hopes of helping to rebuild the ravaged country. Though it was unclear what Berg spoke about in his interview with Moore, or how the two men met, unrelated reports following his death indicate that he headed for the Middle East with plans to work to improve the country's technological infrastructure and communication abilities. He ran his own company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service, in a suburb of Philadelphia.
Berg did not find employment in Iraq, and when he attempted to return to the United States he was detained by Iraqi police and questioned by American forces. He was released after his family complained. But shortly after, he is believed to have been kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. Video of his beheading was released on an Islamist Web site on May 11. Salon was unable to reach the Berg family for comment before publication.
Moore's film chronicles the United States' military, political and business involvement in the Middle East in the years before and after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. His previous politically charged films, including "Roger & Me" and "Bowling for Columbine," have created controversy and won him praise (including an Oscar, for "Columbine"). "Fahrenheit 9/11" has already sparked a media storm; in early May, Miramax's parent company, Disney, announced that it would not allow Miramax to distribute the film, which is highly critical of Bush and his administration.
Miramax has yet to make a deal with a distributor, though the film's warm reception at Cannes and the publicity surrounding the film have made it a hot property that is generating a lot of interest in Hollywood. "Bowling for Columbine" grossed $21 million, making it the highest-grossing non-IMAX documentary of all time.
A source close to "Fahrenheit 9/11" said that a new distributor will be announced shortly, and that the film is expected to be released in theaters during the first week of July, as originally planned.
Ahhhhhh.... I'm speechless. A very rare event. Whoah.
He took college classes at Cornell, Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Oklahoma. He helped set up electronics equipment at the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia in 2000. He even made several trips to Third World Countries -- at one point teaching villagers in Ghana how make bricks.
BINGO ...
While I don't believe much of the puff pieces I read, I never questioned that this guy was a techie-geek growing up and loved to build things (electronics, etc.). I recall reading things about science awards in high-school, etc. Given that he also completed about 3 years of college (engineering), I think he would have had the training for all the wiring, infrastructure, etc. Combine that with a love for climbing... I believe, over time, he developed the necessary skills to be a 'Tower Guy'.
It seems that Berg had no such experience when he went to OK, but then when he returns he has an established tower business.
That's not the impression I got.
He and another His e-mails make reference to a white van that "we" had in Texas and Oklahoma. He also refers to a 2000' "kings" tower in Texas. Who is "we," and what is he doing in Texas?
His emails from Iraq use the word "WE" quite a bit as well. It is a continuing curiosity for me. Maybe he wasn't the 'lone contractor'.
I'm wondering if the Prometheus outfit which Soros funded was the instigating force. That may be why Berg named his business Prometheous and why Michael Berg took such steps to put his connection with his son's business on the ANSWER website.
I still have suspicions... but no proof. Prometheus Radio Project is a network with ties to many entities. They do alot of broadcast training to grow their propaganda biz (having matured from their Radio Mutiny days). It is fact that they have received funding from Soros and others. But, still no proven connection to Berg's Prometheus.
If the Prometheus foundation [it's a foundation, right?]
It's a non-profit Corporation (Pennsylvania).
... [if they] had a program to find and train young men to do this type of work, and Berg was one of its trainees, I would find that significant. Especially if the trainees are sent to OK to be trained by Iraqis.
They train in broadcasting for sure. I've never seen much mention of PRP working the infrastructure side of the equation, but I didn't look, either.
Some specific advantage above the general benefits of someone like ClearChannel to having communication tower capabilities. Knowing what that specialized benefit is could go a long way in learning what Berg was doing in Iraq and for whom.
Pure, unfounded, unsupported, tinfoil speculation on my part: Owning the airwaves and either controlling content or monitoring communications can win a war.
I don't know where the thread is, but here's an article:
Posted on Wed, May. 19, 2004
Berg had been arrested for trespassing, OU police say
BY WILLIAM BUNCH
Knight Ridder Newspapers
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/8706964.htm
Your welcome, girl. ; ) Have fun! And freeepmail me with anything juicy, lol.
Well... time to check out big bro, too.
Up until today, I hadn't seen where he was located.
One of those MM articles just tagged him as being in New Jersey.
That's the lead I needed.
I like your attitude about this, T_T... It is kinda like a puzzle made of all square pieces now.
I would LOVE to be in a grand-jury type role on this, though ...
.
oops - that would be *You're* - not "your"... sheesh.
FL_engineer, FOR YOUR RECORDS
Why did campus police at the University of Oklahoma - where Berg somehow got entangled with 9/11 terrorism suspects back in 2000 - arrest Berg twice for trespassing?http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/fortwayne/8706964.htm
Lt. Bruce Chan of the university police at the Norman, Okla., campus, said yesterday by phone that Berg had been busted twice for apparently living at the student union center, after he was no longer enrolled there as a student.
Chan said that, after receiving complaints from staffers at the Oklahoma Memorial Union that Berg was camped out there, police issued a warning and then twice arrested him for trespassing, a misdemeanor. He said the arrests were in April and May 2000, but Chan did not have exact dates.
"It appeared he had no other place to sleep," said Chan, adding that Berg was no longer a student when the misdemeanor arrests took place.
There is still another article which quotes a friend of bergs as saying that there is a housing problem on OU..and it was within the article about berg being arrested on campus.. If I run across it, I'll let ya know.
"... A friend told the Oklahoma Daily newspaper yesterday that Berg had not had a place to live "because of OU housing problems."..."
I am so glad I read your post referencing "two" articles.
I had read the first on another thread and when I saw the second article posted with the same byline I scrolled on by and didn't read it. Thanks to your post I went back and did so just now.
This looks like the conference where Moore's crew and Berg met up Rebuilding Iraq ConferenceFrom a Google search for "ReBuilding Iraq Conference" "michael moore" :
... from the SBA, Iraqi companies, and prime contractors." The 5th Rebuilding Iraq Conference will be ... This past week we rented Michael Moore's Bowling in Columbine ...
www.geoffreyfox.com/ archive_/2004_04_04_LitPol_archive.html - 24k - Cached - Similar pagesMono-Log: Politik Archives - [ Translate this page ]
... der Website zählt noch 51 Tage bis zur Rebuilding Iraq Conference am 28 ... Boom" – wie CNN auf LSD – des Oscar-Preisträgers Michael Moore ("Bowling Columbine ...
www.clickwork.ch/blog/archives/cat_politik.html - 92k - Cached - Similar pages
... At the 'Rebuilding Iraq' conference, delegates from UK businesses will receive advice from civil-servants on how to overcome obstacles to trading ... Michael Moore. ...
www.paulboizot.co.uk/News.htm - 66k - Supplemental Result - Cached - Similar pages
Is the student union also known as the dorms? In that case, maybe he was a squatter...living in an empty dorm?
I forgot about his older brother. Let us know what you find out.
Thanks for those links, Ron. I'm sure we're all aware that this site is being watched. Articles need to archived before they "disappear".
I guess that if I were in the business of climbing towers, I would be very diligent in making sure all my muscles were as developed as I was able to make them. I've done quite a bit of climbing of trees and cliffs, etc, and his being at the gym every day doesn't seem real weird to me. It does take time to do so, though, and would probably take away time he might have for other activities.
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