Berg's sister confused over Moore's taped interview

Knight Ridder ^ | Fri, May. 28, 2004 | William Bunch

[Raebie]

Posted on Fri, May. 28, 2004 Berg's sister confused over Moore's taped interview

BY WILLIAM BUNCH

Knight Ridder Newspapers

PHILADELPHIA - (KRT) - The sister of Nick Berg, the contractor from the Philadelphia suburbs who was beheaded earlier this month in Iraq, says she's dumbfounded by reports that liberal icon Michael Moore had filmed an interview with her late brother for his new anti-war film.

"I'm very skeptical of this," said Sara Berg, a Virginia attorney whose brother's beheading sparked a global uproar.

But she said there was no way to confirm that Moore had sent a tape of the reported 20-minute interview to their parents' home in West Chester, as the filmmaker suggested in a statement Thursday, because the couple has been away.

Moore's acknowledgment that he had interview footage of Berg that had been shot - but not used - for his highly controversial "Fahrenheit 9/11" documentary may be the strangest twist yet in the increasingly weird saga of Berg and his Iraqi travels, which led to his slaying.

The initial story that touched off the controversy appeared Thursday on the online magazine Salon.com.

It said the interview took place in the United States late last year, before Berg, a radio-tower technician, made the first of two trips to Iraq seeking work there as a private contractor.

So, how would a completely unknown young wannabe contractor like Berg come to the attention of Moore, whose anti-President Bush screed "Dude, Where's My Country?" was the best-selling book in the nation at the time?

Stranger than that: Why would Moore or his crew interview Berg for "Fahrenheit 9/11" for 20 minutes, when Berg's family insists the slain contractor was pro-Bush and supported the American military action in Iraq?

The film, which just took top honors at the Cannes Film Festival, blasts Bush and shows graphic war footage from Iraq.

We may never know the answers, because Berg is dead and Moore says he has no plans to release the interview footage to the public.

"We have an interview with Nick Berg," Moore's terse statement said. "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."

Friends of Berg, the Henderson High School grad, say he was an adventurous, inventive and perhaps naive young man who simply wanted to help in the rebuilding of Iraq but disregarded safety warnings, traveling solo and in private taxis.

Berg was arrested by Iraqi police on March 24, held in custody for 13 days, and released - only to disappear again on April 10. His headless body was found on a Baghdad overpass on May 8, three days before the video of the decapitation was posted.

Despite some contradictory evidence, the CIA claims the execution was done by an al Qaeda terrorist, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

Since then, some have questioned why Berg had been in Iraq, as well as some of his strange connections.

The FBI questioned Berg in 2002 to find out why his e-mail password had ended up with an Oklahoma terror suspect linked to al Qaeda terrorist Zacarias Moussaoui.

In Iraq, Berg partnered with an ex-Philadelphia Iraqi expatriate who'd been convicted in a Russian-exile crack-vial ring before becoming the highly visible leader of an anti-Saddam Hussein group backed by the Bush administration.

[razorback-bert]

Luke Lorenz, a friend who founded the memorial Web site www.nickberg.org, remembered Nick Berg describing, in passing, an interview in late 2003 that occurred during a Virginia conference on business opportunities in Iraq.

Missed this the first reading.

[Dane]

In other words, if his father hadn't waxed enthusiastically about what potential great friends the butchers were to his son, all the info to date showing the butchered Berg in a suspicious light would not be out there

Well there are other things such as mosauwwi(20th 9/11 hijacker using his e-mail address), his trips to Africa, and his wnaderings in Iraq.

And now this revelation by known america hater michael moore.

Just to many conicidences, IMO.

[martinidon]

this is a publicity stunt! Here is how it is going down...

MM will add this interview to his fictional documentary after meeting and discussing the interview with the family.
MM will claim he is doing this out of respect for the family; however, he is really wanting to boost interest in is P.O.S. fiction!

[Dane]

Luke Lorenz, a friend who founded the memorial Web site www.nickberg.org, remembered Nick Berg describing, in passing, an interview in late 2003 that occurred during a Virginia conference on business opportunities in Iraq

Hmm, then others who attended that conference would remember if moore was there asking questions.

Also knowing moore by his actions, moore could have been recruiting his own spies at that conference.

[razorback-bert]

Just tinfoiling along with my first cup of coffee, daddy could have given Nick a couple of "business contacts" to vist.


My later post probably explains how MM and Nick got together.

I best wrap my coffee cup in tinfoil too.

[Sacajaweau]

Just a thought: Berg was interviewed BEFORE his first trip to Iraq. It is more than likely that it had to do with the trip he was about to take. Since his father was his business manager, I would think that the father would be present.

After all, he is the Bush Hater (and Moore Lover).

Maybe there's more here than we think. Was Nick involved in espionage? treason? With his expertise, he surely was capable of "intercepting" data.

[joesbucks]

Well sometimes there is fact in tinfoil. Where the tinfoil comes in is the fact part of the tinfoil is so tiny, but the reflection off the tinfoil makes it look like the larger piece and the weight of the evidence. Maybe an easier way of saying it is leap of faith.

[Howlin]

This is the NICK BERG ping list; if you want ON this list, please Freepmail me!

New information!

[Howlin]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1143602/posts?page=914#914

[Howlin]

I would like to know if the section was edited out of the film before Berg's death or after-wards.

So would I, along with how they met, when they met, and what did Michael Moore know and when did he know it?

[An American In Dairyland]

>> The public bitterness of the father is way beyond normal bounds, and it suggests that a struggle is occuring in the espionage world that both sides don't want the public to know about. <<

I have made the following two suggestions in other threads but always made them seperately. Your comment backs up my thoughts.

1. The Berg family may well be a family like the Rosenbergs of the 1940's - 1950's. (Believing Lawyer Sara without proof may be foolish on two counts).

2. Ashcroft's quick press briefing as to the FBI clearing Nick in the computer password/911 terrorist issue was done in a very odd manner. Ashcroft was clumsy and extremely careful in his choice of words and the whole thing was rushed through very quickly without questions asked of him. (It seemed to me the government knows things they don't want the press or public mulling over.)

[bray]

If Hairy Fatboy has this footage, the only thing that makes any sense is that Nick was anti-war and connected w/ANSWER. Then the only question would be is if he was working for Fatboy, which would make him open to all sorts of legalities??? How reckless would it be to send an American Jew into Iraq???

Pray for W and Our Troops

[RGSpincich]

Morning Howlin. Please put me on your ping list, thanks.

Does anybody know where the loser dad used to teach? You're not going to believe this. Loser dad retires from teaching at East High School but still goes back to the school to sponsor AI. Dedicated to yada,yada,yada. This is rich.

http://www.wcasd.k12.pa.us/district/Schools/East/activities_and_clubs.htm

Amnesty International is an organization dedicated to freeing prisoners of conscience, gaining fair trials for political prisoners, ending torture, political killings and "disappearances," and abolishing the death penalty throughout the world. Mr. Berg is the sponsor for Amnesty International.

[An American In Dairyland]

>>there really is a very concerted effort to destroy our country from within...

>Had you told me this a year ago, I would have thought, "hoo-boy, let's break out the tinfoil hats!"<

This is nothing new. Anyone who has not yet read Ann Coulter's book _Treason_ should read it. She outlines this very behavior going on in America from FDR's cabinet until today. She also documents her work.

[jpsb]

Hmmm, things are falling into place looks like Berg was an amiture "player" with very little backup. I wonder who's side he was on?

[A Citizen Reporter]

Thanks for the ping. I've got a boatload of errands today, because I spent so much time on this yesterday!! Won't be back till tonight.

[zeebee]

It's really very simple.

Moore hired Berg to get stuff for his film.

Moore caused Berg's death.

[An American In Dairyland]

>> What is a crack-vial ring
Details on this Iraqi & the crack vial ring angle are explained here.

BERG MET WITH SHADY IRAQI <<

The above is also a subscription link. Can anyone tell me what a crack-vial ring is without my having to subscribe to a media newspaper?

[Grampa Dave]

US population and lack of random selection re Berg being interviewed by Moore.

It is interesting that out of all of the Americans available to be interviewed by Michael Moore that Nick Berg was interviewed by Moore last December:

[backhoe]

Thanks- I meant to crosslink this and forgot about it--

-The Berg Beheading- some links--