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.
If the activities of fifth columnists and anarchists are democratic, then yes. Turning the population of Iraq into Bush haters via radio doesn't sound difficult to me. The prison photographs were a good start in that direction, that's why I still believe the beheading video, the photographs and the tower-climbing activities are linked.
Grampa Dave, take a look at the last 20 posts on this thread!
You know, I have often wondered how he ALWAYS gets on the best-seller list. His books aren't really funny, and most of the left prefers to buy through Amazon or use the library. I wonder if Moore gets money from Soros.
Where at in OZ? i lived in Wallacia 7 yrs.
This one below may help to explain why NB never seemed to stay very long in one place. (Emphasis added):
| Subject: | prometheus radio project tours the southern US |
| Name: | Anonymous |
| Date Posted: | Aug 1, 02 - 3:15 PM |
| Favorite Music | indy |
| Message: |
Date: Wed, 31 Jul 2002 22:44:43 -0400 (EDT)
From: petri@prometheusradio.org
To: petri@prometheusradio.org
Subject: prometheus radio project tours the southern US
prometheus radio project
p.o.box42158, Philly, PA 19101
215-727-9620
info@prometheusradio.org
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Pete Tridish, petri@prometheusradio.org 215-727-9620/ 215-435-5800 while on the road
>From August 15th to September 2nd, radio rabble-rousers Pete Tridish and Marissa Johnson (Marissa is listed as a staff member on the www.prometheus.org website) will tour 20 cities from Richmond, Virginia to Austin, Texas to kick-off their campaign against the massive radio giant, Clear Channel Communications. Wherever they go, they bring tips about radio equipment, programming, and the new low power radio licensing process. While fighting the monoplists of the radio industry, Prometheus promotes alternatives to corporate controlled media and teaches communities the skills to produce their own media.
Prometheus organizing in the South will culminate with a Low Power Radio Barnraising, conference, where radio activists and programmers from across the nation will gather to build a radio station over the course of a weekend in Opelousas, LA on November 15-17. (Where was NB during this time?)
The Southern Development Foundation, Opelousas Branch has been fighting for civil rights for over a quarter of a century. They have worked for school reform, community supported agriculture, and they host the largest zydeco music festival in the world every year in Opelousas. In the very place where zydeco music was born, every station on the dial ignores the regions cultural heritage in favor of cookie cutter automated stations that play Classic Rock and Young Country. In November, the Southern Development Foundation will expand its advocacy for the people and culture of Opelousas into the world of radio.
New hundred watt broadcasters like the Southern Development Foundation will have the difficult job of preserving public and community radio as locally produced media becomes more and more rare. While thousands of community groups languish waiting for their low power licenses, a handful of corporations are voraciously acquiring all the commercial radio stations they can buy. The largest owner of radio stations, Clear Channel, not only owns over 1200 radio licenses in the United States, but also a third of the billboards and the second largest concert promotions business. They relentlessly pursue many other related media properties which they combine into monopolies in order to dominate their markets. Clear Channel s business model focuses on cutting costs by eliminating local programming and using satellite feeds to replace local announcers, busting its unions, and undercutting its competition through massive advertising deals. By mechanizing and industrializing radio, they are taking all of the personality out of it. Pretty soon we will be listening to a bunch of glib sexy robots who have been market researched to appeal to us, even though they have nothing real to say, said Pete Tridish.
Prometheus fought in the campaign that forced the FCC to reverse its 20 year ban on new low power community radio applications. Thousands of community groups across the country have handed in their applications for a sliver of the radio dial. Some have already been assigned space on the airwaves, while others wait for any news from the FCC on the status of their application. The majority were turned away as the result of radio industry sponsored legislation that stopped community groups in all but the smallest towns from applying for a radio license.
"When the first 100 watt stations are up and running they will exemplify the power of community radio. These new stations serve as an example of the public's desire for and commitment to locally produced media that responds to the needs of the community. With the accomplishments of LPFM as motivation, we will continue our fight for the communities that want increased access but are still left off of the dial. We will not rest until the media monopolists stop abusing the public trust of the airwaves" Said Marissa Johnson, community radio organizer.
Prometheus workshops are different in every town. They nearly always include some history of the radio dial, an account of the pirate radio movement and the LPFM victory, an update on the campaign against Clear Channel Communications and media consolidation, an introduction to do-it-yourself radio engineering, a demonstration with a small transmitter, and an explanation about rules and procedures for applicants for radio stations.
Cities we will visit:
8/15 Richmond,VA
8/16 Durham, NC
8/17 Asheville, NC
8/18 Atlanta, GA
8/19 Gainesville, FL
8/20 Tallahassee, FL
morning 8/21 Gallion, AL
evening 8/21 New Orleans LA
8/22 Opelousas, LA
8/23 Baton Rouge, LA
8/24 Opelousas, LA
8/25 San Marcos, TX
8/26 Austin, TX
8/27 Travel
8/28 Memphis, TN
morning 8/29 Mason, TN
evening 8/29 Birmingham, AL
8/30 Nashville, TN
morning 8/31 New Tazeville
evening 8/31 Knoxville
9/1 Greenville, SC
9/2 Raleigh, NC
Nice outline. Do you know if it's rumor or fact that in his possession were a Koran and...I've forgotten, something peculiar?
I think that pretty much sums it up. I'm still confused about the beheading video, though. To contemplate the possibilities of a "faked" death makes my brain hurt. But I've reviewed that video over and over and I SWEAR the victim doesn't look like Nick Berg's other published photos to me, but I digress...
The prison photos are another story, though. I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to think these people were somehow involved.
Moore's books aren't funny to you because you don't share his sense of humour! The lefties think otherwise, including one of my family. She (my own mother) claims 'Michael Moore always tells the truth and not only that, but he can back up everything he writes...(unquote) Poor old lady is 89 years years of age, so I can't do to her what I would like to...she's been left-wing all her life and buys his books even though she is living on an aged-pension. In Australia! Don't underestimate Moore's reach. His appeal to America Haters is worldwide. (Like chicken-shite, a little goes an awfully long way.)
" Michael Berg would write me hall passes so I could hang pictures of John Edgar Hoover on her door everyday"....
Amnesty International!??
Okay...ya know, this is getting annoying. Don't most, if not all states, have a law stating no teacher, administrator, school can promote a political agenda...I know they are not supposed to spend public resources to do so. I also know Oregon breaks that law all the time. These whacky lefty "teachers" and professors are brainwashing our kids. It ticks me OFF! I don't even care what happened to Nick anymore, but I can tell you this, someone as radical as Michael Berg doesn't associate with a son who supports George Bush. If this email is true, especially the above quote,Berg was doing something no teacher should get away with. He was probably the first one to scream if some group wanted to have a Christian club at school or say the pledge of allegiance.
I'm done, don't feel any better. I felt so badly for Mr. Berg when they showed him as he got this horrid news. I really dislike disliking him.
What do all the organisations that are mentioned in your posts have in common? Anti-Bush. Anti-Administration. Anti-Republican? It's difficult for me as an Australian but I am trying to see the big picture. MOTIVE is what I am always looking for. Leftist comments here are along the lines of 'let Iraq have a true democracy' which translates to mob rule. Mob rule by the Shia=Islamic State.
Your President wants representative government in Iraq. That doesn't appeal to the left-wing one little bit, does it? Mooselimb lovers, that's what they are.
Wallacia? It's a huge Country...I have no idea where that is! I'll look it up. I'm in New South Wales, on the east coast, great views and wonderful weather. Where are you and why did you go home? Typical aussie, I think this is the greatest place on earth.
Details of Berg's detention remain murky
Excerpt:
His one concession to Iraqi culture was to grow a beard.
~snip~
Now, how many Iraqi men wear beards? I notice many wear mustaches, but not *beards*.
Also, before this thread and freeper research, the name Hugo Infante did not mean anything to me. He is quoted in this article.
BTW, Moore's website has been down for a couple hours, I've noticed.
Speaking on condition of anonymity in one media report, a U.S. official said Iraqi authorities detained Berg ''for his own protection'' because his behavior in Mosul seemed unusual for a Westerner. Plus Berg, who was Jewish, had in his possession texts that were considered ''anti-Semitic'' in tone. One of his friends has been quoted as saying that the Iraqi police thought Berg was an Israeli spy. To add insult to injury, Berg was also carrying some literature written in Farsi including a book about Iran.I also read he had in his possession Iranian money.
Also interesting in that article, and we don't hear much about:
Because he belongs to a far-left peace group and was known to authorities, Nicholas Berg's father likely raised a red flag and was a possible reason that the FBI visited the family in suburban Philadelphia at least three times during the 13 days that Berg was detained.
Thank you for the ping. It has me reading and googling.
I found that Michael Moore's website is down. It has been, that I know of, for at least two hours.
I also read that article and saved it because it answered the question of the beard...(that he had one, not why he grew it, that is.)But what stuck out for me was what his 'friend' Duke said...
"For a tower guy this was the golden age' said Duke, who estimated Berg made about $70.000 in the few months he worked in Iraq. Saddam only allowed hard wire which is easiest to bug, so there was lots of work."
Made we wonder who paid and where did the money come from? Surely if it was legit, the source can be traced.
'his one concession to iraqi culture was to grow a beard...'
Maybe that should read...'his one concession to ISLAMIC culture was to grow a beard.'
The first thing the converts to radical (?)islam over here do, is stop shaving.
I was about to post the same thing. No response to ping of his web server IP address, ergo, it's not just web server process getting overloaded - that machine is OFF the Internet.
Seized along with his email server and every other computer in every one of his offices in the United States, one would hope, although it's unlikely.
More probably, taken down while they cleanse it of all reference to the "Head's Up... From Michael Moore" column, in which he claimed to have two operatives working secretly in Iraq, four days after the last time Berg was known to have contacted the outside world.
Here is a most interesting quote in the Columbia Journalism Review from a recent interview with this "Pete Tridish" person:
"Community radio doesn't have a person in Baghdad - well, actually we do"...
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2003/5/qa-kelliher.asp
Can a citizen initiative demand the convention of a federal grand jury and resulting subpoena powers?
You tease! My heart actually skipped a beat. Unfortuately, your second scenario is what I had in mind and I hope nunya bidness put his copies of the posts over there somewhere safe and sound.
Here is a most interesting quote in the Columbia Journalism Review from a recent interview with this "Pete Tridish" person:
"Community radio doesn't have a person in Baghdad - well, actually we do"...
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