Posted on 05/29/2004 9:13:24 AM PDT by Dane
Posted on Sat, May. 29, 2004
Berg talks of Iraq's business potential on Michael Moore footage
JASON STRAZIUSO
Associated Press
In a 16-minute interview shot for Michael Moore's latest film, slain American Nicholas Berg talks about his travels to Africa and the work he hoped to find as an independent businessman in Iraq, Berg's brother said Saturday.
Moore's crew shot the footage at an Iraqi business conference in Arlington, Va., on Dec. 4, David Berg said. Nicholas Berg's decapitated body was found in Baghdad on May 8, and a video of his killing was posted on an Islamic militant Web site several days later.
Moore on Thursday confirmed he had footage of Berg - shot for the anti-President Bush film "Fahrenheit 9/11" - but said he would share it only with the family. Nicholas Berg's brother and sister praised Moore for that, and said they would also keep the footage private.
David Berg said it was "weird seeing Nick talk," but described the interview footage as dry. He said the first thing he noticed was that his younger brother - who was most comfortable in casual clothes - wore a suit.
"It's one of the few times I've seen him dressed up, and he looked really good," David Berg said.
The interview, which was not conducted by Moore, centered on the technical work Berg hoped to find repairing radio towers on behalf of his company, Prometheus Methods Tower Service. Berg, 26 when he died, also talks about humanitarian work he did in Uganda and Kenya.
"Nick seemed to be fairly conscious of using this thing to promote his business," David Berg said. "(The interviewer) does ask him at one point about the money and he said no one's denying there's money to be made. But it's very clear when you watch it, Nick knew he wasn't going to make a lot of money."
Moore said he had considered using some of the footage in his film but that it got edited out, David Berg said. Aware of the footage they had, some of Moore's staffers cried when they heard about Berg's death, the filmmaker told David Berg.
Moore sent copies of the footage to David Berg in New Jersey and sister Sara Berg in Virginia. Their parents will see the video after returning to their suburban Philadelphia home from vacation, David Berg said.
"Fahrenheit 9/11," which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, accuses the Bush administration of stealing the 2000 election, overlooking terrorism warnings before Sept. 11, 2001, and fanning fears of more attacks to secure American support for the Iraq war.
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.
David Berg said Moore has handled the situation with "dignity, respect and discipline."
"Michael Moore has really been a total class act with this whole thing," David Berg said. "He could have sold this to the media or stuck it in his movie."
Exactly.
Exactly. And once its existance was known, still the shroud of secrecy instead of the forthright "business conference" explanation.
So Nick Berg may have been a marked man before he ever left the US for Iraq. Fingered by Michael Moore. Word was flashed on ahead, sacrificial lamb coming your way, he hasn't got a clue as to what's in store. Sounds like a set up to me.
When it comes to Michael Moore and his motives, read every one of them with as malice as you can. Michael has no compunctions about the exaggeration of anybody else's agenda, so he is probably comparing what other people do with what he would be doing in the same situation.
What did Michael know, and when did he know it?
This can work both ways, moore could also have been recruiting at that conference, since the people at the conference would no doubt be going there.
He said that he has two people of his own there.
And HTF do you know that? This girlyboy is daddy's favorite.
The whole thing is still fishy. Why did he interview Nick Berg? Presumably because his leftist father suggested it. My reading of Nick Berg is that he was confused and conflicted. Moore cut the footage not from respect but because he didn't get what he was after, some sort of violent condemnation of Bush by a young guy whom he expected to be a Peace Corps leftist who could be portrayed as selflessly helping the poor, persecuted Muslim Iraqis.
As for why he showed the footage to the family, I think the answer is more publicity. Here we are with yet more publicity in the news media about this sleazy film. He could have sent them a private copy; instead he made a public show of it.
Free advertising. Moore is an expert at getting face time with the media.
"Berg sure got around."
Yeah, he really did didn't he? He's in Africa, he's on the bus in OK sharing his e-mail password with terrorists, or terrorists' acquaintences, he's in Iraq, he's in Iraqi custody (or not), he's in American custody (or not), he's got the Israeli stamp on his passport (never, ever, ever done, according to my lefty friend who is quite a traveler and has been in Israel on several occasions). And now he's dead, murdered by hooded Islamic terrorists. Oh yeah, add to that he's looking for business opportunities in Iraq, even though he was intent on charity in Africa, and his father is an anti-war left-wing loon. Which one might be able to understand if his conversion happened after his son's murder, but no, he felt that way before, and (amazingly) still does, and blames Bush for his son's death. He might blame his son, at least, even if he doesn't want to blame the terrorists, blame him for being so foolish as to go to Iraq as a Western imperialist mercenary intent on making a buck on W's hegemonious war against the Iraqi people.
All in all a good example of truth being stranger than fiction, because you'd never make up a story as unbelievable as this.
Absolutely. I was addressing the narrow question of how Moore ostensibly became aware of Berg's pending trip. (I don't take Moore's representations at face value, but we must assemble statements and comments and go from there)
He said that he has two people of his own there.
Oh, I know. I posted an article about Cannes where he claimed he had *three* crews over there.
Moore sent the crews into Iraq after disaffected soldiers wrote to him, he said.
"I was able to sneak three different freelance crews into Iraq," he said.
And stupid.
May 27, 2004 -- NAJAF, Iraq — U.S. troops scored a major success against Shiite gunmen yesterday, arresting a key lieutenant of radical cleric Muqtada al-Sadr in clashes that killed 24 people and wounded nearly 50.
Iraq's national security adviser said Sadr had offered to remove his fighters from Najaf — except for those who live there. Sadr wanted U.S. and other coalition troops to "return to base," allowing Iraqi police to regain control of the city.
Sadr said he is making this offer because of "the tragic condition" in Najaf after weeks of fighting. The busted aide, Sayed Ryad al-Nuri, was turned over to Iraqis for a murder prosecution. AP
That would be truly sickening ... to find that moore recruited/hired Berg, and that's what had him running suspiciously around Iraq, and questioned by the FBI and the Iraqi authorities.
It would come as no surprise to find that, while moore hates those who die for their country, he's okay with someone dying for his movie.
Why did it take so long for any of us to hear about this interview and tape, including apparently his family? It's all connected to the movie and his big win in France...self-promotion, and no class-act humanitarian for sure. Those words don't fit in the same sentence as the name Micheal Moore.
Indeed. From one of our local teevee stations:
Fuller also said Berg loved to debate political and social issues and was always looking for ways to better himself, that's why he's not surprised he was in Iraq.
Been trying to find other local stories, but most have scrolled off. A lot of these local sources don't seem to keep archives, except the Daily Oklahoman. (And all they have are the AP wire stories.)
Michael Moore is a lot of things, but a "class act" ain't one of them.
One too many coinkydinks for me.
"Michael Moore is a lot of things, but a "class act" ain't one of them."
You got that right. Michael Moore is an ass, has a fat ass, and above all anti-American.
Another tid-bit on the dad. Michael S Berg is the faculty sponsor for Amnesty International at East High School in West Chester, PA.
Enough to raise suspicions that Berg was one of the bad guys, which would explain moore's interest in him.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.