Actor Willis' $1m Saddam bounty (Go Bruce Go!!)

BBC News | 9/26/03

[areafiftyone]

Actor Bruce Willis has performed before US soldiers in Telafar, northern Iraq, and offered $1m (£603,000) to the man who captures Saddam Hussein.

"We're here to support you," the star told troops as he sang a set of blues songs with his band, the Accelerator.

"If you catch him, just give me four seconds with Saddam Hussein," he said.

Willis will next fly south to visit US soldiers in Tikrit - Saddam's home town - before performing two concerts for troops in neighbouring Kuwait.

"Somebody that supports the military like he has and that comes to visit soldiers - that's important to us," said Greg Pagan, from 3rd Brigade of the 101st's Airborne Division based at Telafar.

'Thumbs up'

"It's awesome," said commander Col Michael Linnington. "It's great for morale. "He's a macho actor. Soldiers identify with action movies and action actors. He's a guy's guy."

During an interview Willis said: "Peculiar thing back home is that the liberal media was trying to portray it as a bad war.

"But being over here just a couple of days, seeing how well our troops and the allied troops are being received here, (I) think the Iraqi people are happy we're here," the Hollywood star said.

Willis will also visit troops in Kuwait

"Children are being taken care of, starting being inoculated, starting being looked after. Wherever these guys go they get thumbs up. They no longer have to contend with the terrorist leader," Willis said.

But the star later admitted he had not met many Iraqis because he had been travelling the country by helicopter.

Willis, a Republican party supporter, was one of the few celebrities to publicly back the US' stance during the recent war on Iraq, which was led by President Bush.

Willis recently played a US special forces commander sent in to rescue medical staff in war-torn Nigeria in the film Tears of the Sun.

[united1000]

Great Flick

Sure was. I saw it again the other day for about the 10th time.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Arnold's campaign has helped to raise the stature of the few remaining conservatives in hollywood.

[Robert_Paulson2]

thanks dennnis.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Got a link or source for your photo?

[mhking]

From this morning's LA Times:

On Thursday evening, more than 100 people attended a $1,000-a-head Hollywood fund-raiser for (CA Gov. Gray) Davis at the Century Plaza Hotel. Guests included Beatty and his wife, Annette Bening, Jack Nicholson, Bruce Willis and other celebrities.

He might not be as "good" as we might think. It sounds like he opposes the Recall.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Army Pfc. Michael Kuhn occupies a throne Tuesday at Saddam Hussein’s presidential palace in Baghdad as he clowns around with Pfc. Nick Pershing, left, and Pfc. Jason Miller, all with 1st Battalion, 325th Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. The gilded throne is a favorite spot for visitors to take photos.

Army Maj. Tony Vega, of Gary, Ind., reads Tuesday in Saddam Hussein’s former Presidential Palace in Baghdad. Some of the coalition troops helping rebuild Iraq are bunked in the palace

[rabidralph]

Not even a flight suit can stop one from looking gay as they "play" the tambourine. Hooray, for Bruce!

[Afronaut]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Organized religion? Bruce Willis says its days are numbered. Politics? He didn't bother to vote last time around. Race? If he were black, the star of "Die Hard" says he'd be standing with Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan.

"Modern religion is the end trail of modern mythology," he told George magazine. "But there are people who interpret the Bible literally. Literally! I choose not to believe that's the way. And that's what makes America cool, you know?"

Willis said if he were black, "I'd be with Farrakhan, too."

"A lot of people feel Louis Farrakhan stands for a lot of negative things," Willis said. "But he is raising his voice against inequality. Anyone who stands up against injustice is a hero of mine."

Willis also said he switched from Democrat to Republican in 1992 and supported President Bush for re-election because he felt Bill Clinton's campaign was too divisive. But he sat out the 1996 election between Dole and President Clinton because he considered the Republican "a nitwit."

Willis' latest film, the action movie "Armageddon," comes out in July.

[Charles Martel]

Interesting. Perhaps there's some personal issue at work here. Bruce and Arnold were both investors in Planet Hollywood; this makes me wonder if there's still some bad blood connected to that. The guy gives the leftists an occasional kick in the teeth, so "hard-core Democrat" is probably a stretch.

[what's up]

Good, good, good. If Republican Hollywood celebrities keep it up and keep doing their civic duty, it will have an impact. They can do a lot in swaying public opinion for the good.

And I am grateful to Arnold for willing to take the shots and leading the way for conservative Hollywood.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

ALL of the actors are avoiding conflict in the election in order to not aggravate whoever is elected. The leftists were bloodied as a result of their reaction to the war and our side doesn't want to irritate Bustamante et al in the event they are elected.

[Dog]

My claim to fame is I went to the same High School with Bruce Willis......he was two years ahead of me and lived in the same neighborhood as me.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

It's not difficult for someone with the financial stature of Willis to simply cut a check and claim credit. This person made the time to take the effort to actually appear before the troops. I can only hope more will do the same.

[No Blue States]

Way to go Bruce! Its so much easier to enjoy an action flick with a brave guy when he tries to live it in real life.

I wont watch another sean peen war movie.

Diehard was my fav Willis movie.

[BlessedBeGod]

Willis is hardcore Democrat.

I thought he stumped for Bush.

[bootless]

Yippee-kai-yay!

[KC_for_Freedom]

I thought he stumped for Bush.

Willis has not been as strong a supporter of conservative values as Heston but he is definitely not a democrat.

[ConservativeMan55]

I saw Bruce Willis sub for David Letterman, when Letterman got pink eye.

Willis is definetely a Conservative after seeing that show!

Another Conservative actor who I love is Kelsey Grammar.

[Robert_Paulson2]

Organized religion? Bruce Willis says its days are numbered.

---

He's right.
Personal faith in Jesus Christ... is on the upswing while organized religion based on fundamentalism of all stripes, is going down bigtime.
It's going down all over the planet.

[Argus]

Saddam reportedly has put a price of 5 to 10 thousand dollars on the head of any American soldier his followers kill. Our government has, I believe, set the bounty on Saddam at $25 milliion. All Bruce has done is make it 26 million. Do I hear 27? Sean Penn? Barbra Streisand? Anybody?