Moore interviewed Berg for "Fahrenheit" [index to thread at reply #1859]

Salon.com ^ | May 27, 2004 | Rebecca Traister

[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.

[Nita Nupress]

Yes, I did. That conversation starts at #1161. Nunya bidness wrote: "This was written in 9/03 and indicates he was well on his way to formulating his idea."

[Nita Nupress]

From 1,197:

Wednesday, April 14th, 2004
Heads Up... from Michael Moore
I currently have two cameramen/reporters doing work for me in Iraq for my movie (unbeknownst to the Army). They are talking to soldiers and gathering the true sentiment about what is really going on. They Fed Ex the footage back to me each week. That's right, Fed Ex.

Sure wish we knew how long they'd been there at that point.

[Nita Nupress]

Interesting info about the "Andrew R. Duke" you found.

[Fred Nerks]

There's a timeline that might be of interest on:
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/world/daily/graphics/abughraib_050904.htm
That is where I found the date of the 'collar & leash' photo.

On our latest TV news I saw a short mention that two Turkish hostages had been taken in Iraq. I can find no reference to this event nor any photographs, but I did come across a short printed report that an egyptian and a turk had been taken on June 3.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1121839.htm

I am still looking for a still from the short video clip I saw on the news. (Two more hostages in Iraq doesn't seem to be of much interest to the media?) After seeing this latest report, it kept me awake for hours - why? Because the terrorists in the latest news report looked just the same as the terrorists on:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5116637/ And the men shown behind Nick on:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/05/12/iraq.berg/

And if you scroll down that last page, you will see, with a change of lighting, Berg's shirt isn't orange - it's PINK!
No, I am not trying to say this is the same group of hostage takers. Just trying to dispell that propaganda I have come across on Left wing sites - that the men who beheaded Nick 'looked like Americans not like Iraqi's or Arabs' and 'their clothing, the way they wore their headcovering was all wrong...they stand at ease...They are too fell fed...their body mass is too large...(and on and on.)
In my opinion, comparison of the pictures so far available prove these assertions to be entirely wrong. What do you think? I will continue to look for the latest report.

[Fred Nerks]

Re my last post; I have now found an article that relates to the report I saw on the TV news. But no photographs. Yet.
http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,9790932%255E401,00.html

I had it in my mind that someone could do a 'photo-page' on this thread - to show the similarities between the various groups of terrorists. (I'm not able to do that myself.) Will post a link to the most recent hostage taking event as soon as I find it...
PS. Where has everybody gone?

[calcowgirl]

From your Washington Post link:

Image from a video posted on an Islamic militant Web site affiliated with al Qaeda, showing a group of five men standing over a man who identified himself as Nick Berg, a U.S. hostage whose body was found on a highway overpass in Baghdad on Saturday. (AP)

From your msnbc link

Three Italians, Turk, Egyptian being held in Iraq

From Yahoo news

Three Turkish hostages, said to have been kidnapped because they worked for Americans, are displayed by Iraqi resistance forces at an undisclosed location in Iraq (news - web sites), Tuesday June 8, 2004. Four other hostages were shown to reporters separately. (AP Photo/str)

Note: I added this third photo, because when I first saw it, i thought that the person on the far right seemed to have a similar stance to the person on the far right in the first photo above.

[Fred Nerks]

That was brilliant! I just clicked onto 'my comments' and couldn't believe my eyes. You found the number three, the one I couldn't find. Yes, it was that stance that also caught my eye...they all look as if they dressed out of the same bag of second-hand clothes.
Thanks.
Btw, when I asked 'where did verybody go' I didn't realize the Ronald Reagan funeral was being live-cast. Found the live thread after a while and by the time I had read two thousand posts, I was in tears - the photographs were brilliant. I felt as if I was there, even though I am in Australia. My heroes have always been cowboys too.
R.I.P. Ronald Reagan. May God give Nancy strength & Love.

[Fred Nerks]

DNC DVD http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1151363/posts

Michael Moore ("left wing extremist') works out a deal with the DNC to distribute F9/11 ON DVD before the election...fundraiser for the Dems.

[Ann Archy]

Thank you for all your hard work on this! My father died last Saturday, so I've been out of touch until today.

I noticed that Drudge has an article on Michael Moore where MM says he had OUTDOOR Abu Grahib photos MONTHS BEFORE the scandal broke!!!! NICK BERG and his helpers are the ONLY people who could have taken those pics....imho!

I didn't see that Drudge story posted on FR...wonder why?

[Miss Marple]

It was just posted a few minutes ago. I imagine it was late posting because of the weekend.

Moore has a lot to ansswer for, IMHO. I hope he is called to account.

[Miss Marple]

My cndolences on the loss of your father.

[Fred Nerks]

Sorry to hear you lost your Dad.

[King Prout]

datum.

bookmark.

this might be interesting indeed if some of the speculation on this thread pans out.

[Ann Archy]

Thank you. My dad lived a most faithful Catholic life of 89 years and went straight to heaven!! Can't ask for anyore than that!

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Bump for later reading. Very interesting...

[Rennes Templar]

Welcome aboard!

[idkfa]

You and me both. I'm still looking for an article I read somewhere where it was reported that when the tower near the prison was examined, all that was found was a bunch of fine silver wires. Not being able to find it again is driving me crazy. I have it in my head that a method of communication that could not be traced was being used and it's not a huge leap to imagine who by. It will be a eureka moment when I find that story again, let me assure you.

I haven't read the entire thread, and I hope the story on the silver wires is found. It could someting as simple as chaff, thin aluminum coated threads that the military drops to jam radars and to short out power grids. It could something more, which brings me to my point.

Berg was involved in low power FM. With low power I would assume you would want to maximize your reach and you can do that with propagation of the radio waves, bouncing off the troposhere, sunspot activity, etc, which he would know something about. As a kid I remember talking by a standard CB radio in Iowa to Key West because of sunspots.

It has been said that Berg traveled (and worked?) at night. Some frequencies propogate better at night, that's the reason some AM stations go to lower power at night. There are hobbyists that use various methods to get propagated radio signals from around the world, including lengths of bare wire on the ground to shooting a wire with a bow and arrow up a tree. On a metal tower you would want insulated wire so it would be interesting to find out more about the wire they found.

Now the tinfoil hat question some experts might be able to answer. Can military signals be intercepted from a safe distance using propagation? What about low power walkie talkies like might be used by prison guards?

[Fred Nerks]

You are already on the same track. The activities re the towers are tied to idealogy...he wasn't up there with a spanner ( I don't think) more likely sending and receiving. Much further down the thread, you'll find some interesting detail about the possible technology that might have been used, described by a colleage of Nick's...how access to the Internet can be achieved from the towers...but I don't want to spoil it for you by giving too much away and spoil your enjoyment.

But what you said about 'chaff' that makes sense. 'Thin aluminium coated threads that the military drops to jam radar...' is the closest thing to 'silver wire' I have come across yet.

OK, it wasn't a eureka moment...but at least you may have cleared that up. Every bit helps. Hey, I had no idea that as you said, 'some frequencies propogate better at night...'

Rather tongue in cheek, I remember writing; 'dedicated, wasn't he?' Dedicated to what? Moore, ANSWER etc.

MAN IS BY MORE THAN FIRE TAMED. Prometheus Towers motto.

If not by fire.....then what? What else may tame Man? Propaganda - lower power FM?

[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Howlin, have you seen this:

DNC DVD

Odd title, don't you think? Like it's buried on page 195 in the movie section or something.

[Fred Nerks]

http://www.hillnews.com/news/052604/clarke.aspx

'CLARKE CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY'

Kinda blows F9/ll out of the water...will the Dem's use a LIE on DVD as a fundraiser now?