Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Documentary Slams U.S. Companies Working in Iraq
ABC NEWS ^ | 9-5-06 | DAN HARRIS

Posted on 09/05/2006 5:01:03 PM PDT by Cagey

Sept. 4, 2006 — He's tackled Wal-Mart and Fox News with his scathing documentaries. Now, filmmaker Robert Greenwald is releasing a documentary which argues that private companies helping to fight the war in Iraq don't have the nation's best interests in mind.

"Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers" debuts in limited release this week, and presents an assault on companies that provide the kinds of services in Iraq that the military once handled itself, such as supplying food, water and mail delivery for the reconstruction.

In the film, former KBR/Halliburton water purification specialist Ben Carter is interviewed and says when a motor went out on a truck, they would "buy a new truck … and bill the government."

Greenwald also interviewed relatives of four Blackwater Security guards who were mutilated in Fallujah in March, 2004. One mother claimed her son died because the company cut corners, failing to supply armored vehicles or maps.

"My son is not walking the earth because people he trusted and worked for did not care about him," said Donna Zovko, whose son Jerry Zovko was among the four Blackwater employees killed by insurgents in 2004.

Greenwald requested interviews with the contractors he is criticizing, but they turned him down.

Blackwater told ABC News it couldn't comment on the Fallujah incident because it's the subject of a lawsuit, and Halliburton offered a statement saying the film includes "yet another rehash of inaccurate, recycled information."

Critics of these kinds of documentaries remind viewers not to expect balance from left-leaning documentaries, such as Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11" and former Vice President Al Gore's global warming film, "An Inconvenient Truth."

"Finally, the left has figured out their answer to talk radio — and it's documentaries," said Prof. Richard Lichter of George Mason University.

"Iraq for Sale" was produced more like a political campaign than a traditional movie, largely funded by 3,000 small donations made on the Internet.

It's being released on a small scale this week and will then be screened in thousands of homes, union halls and churches in time for the November elections.


TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: blackwater; defensecontractors; enemypropaganda; fallujah; greenwald; gwot; halliburton; hateamericafirst; iraq; iraqforsale; kbr; robertgreenwald

1 posted on 09/05/2006 5:01:04 PM PDT by Cagey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Cagey

Just out of curiousity, has anyone seriously looked into working for some of these outfits? I hear the money's good, but I have no military experience.


2 posted on 09/05/2006 5:02:50 PM PDT by 1rudeboy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cagey
"Iraq for Sale" was produced more like a political campaign than a traditional movie, largely funded by 3,000 small donations made on the Internet.

According to whom?

3 posted on 09/05/2006 5:03:33 PM PDT by mewzilla (Property must be secured or liberty cannot exist. John Adams)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cagey

--In the film, former KBR/Halliburton water purification specialist Ben Carter is interviewed and says when a motor went out on a truck, they would "buy a new truck … and bill the government."

I can believe that...prosecute them.


4 posted on 09/05/2006 5:21:55 PM PDT by bkepley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

I worked over there for a defense contractor.

Word is that shooters are paid $600 to $1,000 per day depending upon the company (Blackwater is the elite).

If you're serious this might be useful:

http://www.dangerzonejobs.com/artman/publish/index.shtml

And of course you can Google for more info. There's plenty out there.


5 posted on 09/05/2006 5:30:43 PM PDT by angkor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Cagey

..and Greenwalds solution is???


6 posted on 09/05/2006 6:32:21 PM PDT by Parley Baer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: 1rudeboy

Let's see -- if Haliburton et al. are war profiteers, then HE has to be too. Because his film would not exist without Iraq and/ or Haliburton. And is he not also doing this for fame and fortune? Or is it just out of the badness of his heart?


7 posted on 09/05/2006 6:40:31 PM PDT by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Parley Baer

Maybe he thinks liberal hippies should do it. They will respect the earth more.


8 posted on 09/05/2006 7:19:31 PM PDT by bboop (Stealth Tutor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson