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.
Same brother. From your link:
his brother David believes he was the only member of the family who voted for George W. Bush. In December, he attended a two-day conference in Arlington, Va., on business opportunities in Iraq.
Note, we now know that at the two-day conference is when the Moore crew purportedly spoke with Nick Berg (one of many they spoke with?? Or one of a few?).
It wasn't that he said his brother wasn't much of a Bush supporter, but he downplayed Nick's supposed affiliation and made a point of saying he wasn't over there to help the Bush administration. Here is David from today's article:
Berg talks of Iraq's business potential on Michael Moore footage
Excerpt:
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.
Just an aside. When I clicked your link I was taken aback to see Sheherezade Faramarzi's byline. She was BIG on that "wedding party" story a week ago. Flogging and flogging until the horse had disintegrated and the truth was left standing, no thanks to the likes of her.
Thanks for the ping!
I asked a similar question earlier. In a story where coincidences won't stop, Berg was twice picked up in Iraq. The first time he said that the Iraqi authorities were looking for Iranians crossing the border. The second time he was questioned about Iranian literature and pipe bombs. Then of course came the Chalabi allegations regarding Iranian ties.
I was also just stunned to see the possible Aziz and Prometheus Radio Project connection, or at least Tridish. For those who don't know, Prometheus Radio is an advocate of Low Power FM Stations. They travel the country to generate interest and help people establish these stations. Here is an example of them setting up a station to help farm workers organize.
I find this yet another of the irritating aspects of the reporting on this story. I have seen Prometheus Towers described as a tower builder, tower maintenance service and tower painter. There is a wide difference between these three things. Of course I have seen the name of his company as Prometheus Towers and Prometheus Methods Tower Services.
Apparently he had developed an innovative way to build towers out of bricks. He had an exhibit as pictured here,in November, 2003. This was supposed to be a major breakthrough for third world countries that couldn't afford to use traditional materials. The bricks, which could be made from local material, would be much less expensive. Sounds intriguing and would seem to offer endless opportunities for his adventurous spirit. And yet not a month later he's attending an Iraqi business conference and shortly thereafter he's off to that country to repair towers?
We don't, though I would say that Moore's thought process is predictable. That he want looking to prove one of his usual themes (Iraq was about Corporate profits) seems reasonable.
The link doesn't work unless we have an aol screen name..thanks for the tip though.. :(
Quilla, the quote from the Berg e-mail you posted, made me think....if Berg was hired by Moore to do "work" in Iraq, and needed to contact Moore "secretly" to keep him "up to speed" on his "progress", those lines you posted REALLY stand out. The rest of the e-mail is there to "bury" the lines you posted.
IMHO, it is Berg telling Moore that "name dropping" ain't gettin' it.
Berg has hit a wall in his "job search".
Moore's help ,(I.E. some sort of traceable referals from someone "more recognizable" to the people he is seeking employment from,) would get him the position he is seeking.
Berg is hoping that Moore will give him some help,if he REALLY wants Berg to complete his "business " ,(and be done with it in time to utilize it in his movie before the "premier" of it at the Canne's.....)
....let me check...asbestos suit in place....tin foil hat is secure....ready to post....
Initial reports were of a 20 minut interview, not 16. Maybe a small detail, but have some non-technical remarks been removed?
Topics included contracts and contract procedures, sub-contracts opportunities. It was in Washington, D.C. On Dec 4th, there was a communications session.
Was THIS the conference Nick attended?
No matter. You just don't show up in Iraq without credentials, connections and a plan.
And when he was held by the Iraqi police, all he had to do was say he had a relative to vouch for him. Check out the relative!
Then think about Berg's email (early January) at Yahoo finance groups provided by Mark Humphrey: "I am taking photographs - where allowed." Why would he even have to add the "where allowed". Me thinkest thou protest too much.
amazing...
More great dot-connecting.
Interesting thought, that. I know many here have been trying to decode that email, because it truly did sound as though it was kind of coded.
Very interesting points and shows he was into electronics which makes the OU professor's statements about a phoney brick even more odd. If he was an electronics guy, why would he be doing something like a phoney brick. Not to mention the profs didn't remember him for sometime and now know him completely.
I am of the theory that Moussaoui was in Norman/OKC area several times before they declare he was here in Feb 2001.
The current website for West Chester East High School, where Michael Berg was reportedly a teacher, lists faculty by subject category taught (i.e. Math, English, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, etc). Since Berg is retired, he is no longer listed on that site. However, I was able to find the old school webpage via the Alexa web archive.org HERE, where he is listed with 8 other individuals under the category "Learning Support ".
According to the current website, The Learning Support Department is listed under the Social Services Office and is described as follows:
The Learning Support Department at East High School offers both direct and indirect services to students who are identified with a learning disability. Direct services consist of classes for academic instruction, co-teaching of classes, test-taking support, tutoring and assistance with organizational or study skills. Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are developed for all students in the Learning Support Program. Indirect services offered are monitoring of academic progress of learning support students by both formal and informal conferencing with regular education staff and generating written academic progress reports that are shared with parents. These reports are done a minimum of once during a marking period.According to the following post made at this website (I do not vouch for its authenticity), Michael Berg was also the East High School faculty advisor for Amnesty International.
I would like to nominate Michael Berg. He was in charge of the drop in center for dyslexic kids at East High School in West Chester, PA. You might know Michael because his son Nick was beheaded in Iraq. In the midst of his grief he had the courage to make a really cool and poetic gesture by placing a WAR IS NOT THE ANSWER sign in his front yard. In high school he was the faculty advisor for Amnesty International. He is now retired. He is still active in the peace movement. He was involved in protests against the first gulf war and he opposes this war as well. In high school they made a rule that males were not allowed to wear head coverings (at the time I was sporting a reverse mullet & head band. I do not know what I was thinking). The vice principal was a former FBI agent. Michael Berg would write me hall passes so I could hang pictures of John Edgar Hoover on her door everyday. Even after his sons death he still speaks out against oppression in all its forms.
[name deleted by me]
Monday, May 17, 2004 at 15:01:19 (PDT)
Thanks for the link. I've read other stories, but that one was very informative (new stuff!). :-)
1. Given Nick Berg's history as described by various reports, it is unlikely that Berg was a Bush/for the war supporter as dad described him. As a member of A.N.S.W.E.R., dad has an agenda, so making this statement was likely part of some agenda. Berg was known to have hung around Muslim groups in Oklahoma, and not Jewish groups. But all of a sudden on his way to Iraq, he find his roots and goes to Israel. And unnecessarily gets his passport stamped with an Israeli entry visa.
Which leads me to think that Nick Berg was not afraid of Al Queda finding out he was Jewish, but was very interested in having the FBI/CIA? and Iraqis think he had distanced himself from his Muslim/Al Queda friends.
2. Nick Berg has quite a history of being in the proximity of Al Queda (OU, Kenya, Uganda, Iraq). His experience in Uganda likely had a profound effect on him. It seems potential that Berg was being groomed as what Jayna Davis referred to as a "lily white." Lily whites she defines as "operatives who have no criminal history and no obvious ties to Middle Eastern terrorist organizations, thereby hamstringing law enforcement's ability to profile and track potential terrorists." Thus Berg would want to distance himself although he had intermingled with terrorist. He would not tell friends he was a terrorist supporter, but a Bush supporter.
3. I have been a bit bothered by the fact that within a few days of Nick's incarceration by US or Iraqi authorities in Mosul, his father is screaming bloody murder. But then his son is released . . . and disappears for nearly an entire month before his father thinks to notify the media (and no mention of contacting the authorities). In the meantime, we had heard about many contractors who had gone missing in Iraq. Again, his father felt Nick was more threatened by his being in US/Iraqi custody than possibly in the hands of terrorist.
4. There has been much talk on the net about the orange prison garb, plastic white chair, yellow walls, all looking like the venue of the execution video was taken on Abu Ghraib prison. Possible that the whole thing was staged with that in mind. Possible that Nick was not nervous because he was an active participant in the mock execution, and helped staged the scene after checking out the prison. Too bad he didn't understand his "friends" very well. Although Nick appears to have lost a significant amount of weight (those who had seen him just before he disappeared stated they would not have recognized him), he looked otherwise healthy . . . well, at least until the beheading . . .
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