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Moore interviewed Berg for "Fahrenheit" [index to thread at reply #1859]
Salon.com ^ | May 27, 2004 | Rebecca Traister

Posted on 05/27/2004 9:26:51 PM PDT by 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.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 911; 911hijackers; abughraib; almudafer; almuzaffar; andrewduke; aziz; azizaltaee; berg; bergresearch; cannes; duke; dylanwyrnn; fahrenbalanced911; fahrenheit911; hugoinfante; infante; michaelmoore; monsterthread; moore; moussaoui; mudafer; muzaffar; nickberg; petetridish; prometheus; prometheusmethods; prometheusradio; prometheustowers; silverwires; traitors; yasin; yassin
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To: FL_engineer

bump for later


1,741 posted on 06/02/2004 7:49:43 AM PDT by JIM O
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To: FL_engineer; All
Time is running short. (Moore Documentary Gets US Distributor)
1,742 posted on 06/02/2004 8:00:35 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: Rennes Templar

Yahoo News June 1, 2004

LOS ANGELES - Michael Moore (news)'s award-winning documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" has picked up a U.S. distributor and will hit theaters June 25.

The film will be released by a partnership of Lions Gate Films, IFC Films and the Fellowship Adventure Group, which was formed by Harvey and Bob Weinstein specifically to market Moore's film.


Moore's film, which recently won the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival (news - web sites), criticizes President Bush (news - web sites)'s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and connects the Bush family with Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s.


The Weinsteins, who run Miramax Films, bought the rights to the movie from The Walt Disney Co., which owns Miramax and refused to distribute "Fahrenheit 9/11."


The Weinstein brothers will personally finance and control distribution and marketing, they said Tuesday.


"I am grateful to them now that everyone who wants to see it will now have the chance to do so," Moore said in a statement.


"On behalf of my stellar cast — GW, Dick, Rummy, Condi and Wolfie — we thank this incredible coalition of the willing for bringing 'Fahrenheit 9/11' to the people."


Disney chief executive Michael Eisner said the company "did not want a film in the middle of the political process" because he believed that theme park and entertainment consumers "do not look for us to take sides."


In a settlement reached last week, the Weinsteins repaid their parent company for all costs of the film to date, estimated at around $6 million. Any profits from the film's distribution that go to Miramax or Disney will be donated to charity.


1,743 posted on 06/02/2004 8:04:45 AM PDT by Rennes Templar
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To: livius

Here's a scary thought... are we seeing the development of a Communist-Islamist hybrid - in essence, a heresy against the heresy of Islam, which also tips its hat to Marx?


1,744 posted on 06/02/2004 8:11:31 AM PDT by GOP_1900AD (Stomping on "PC," destroying the Left, and smoking out faux "conservatives" - Right makes right!)
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To: Rennes Templar

No one will catch on?? Boycott Disney AND Fahrenheit 9-11.


1,745 posted on 06/02/2004 8:11:34 AM PDT by Sacajaweau (God Bless Our Troops!!)
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To: FL_engineer; calcowgirl
From post #1733: Michael Berg's jewish sister, who converted to Islam in Iraq, and lived in Mosul, was RECENTLY killed

From post # 1717: Berg’s aunt is an American married to an Iraqi by the name of Mustafa al-Muzfar residing in the city of Mosul . . .

From post # 1716: Berg's Jan 4 email: Otherwise, I came to Mosul to meet Moffak Mustaffa Yasin, Mudafer's (my paternal uncle) brother.

Okay, if Berg's aunt (who remains nameless) lived in Mosul, then we can assume Nick's aunt's husband (Madafer) lived in Mosul. But Nick goes to visit Moffak Mustaffa, Mudafer's brother. So where is Mudafer. And colcowgirl's citation from the Asia Africa Intelligence Wire (post #1717) states Berg's aunt was married to Mustafa.

I'm confused by these names.

Where is Nick's uncle????

1,746 posted on 06/02/2004 9:00:05 AM PDT by christie
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To: GOP_1900AD

I think they are in collusion, or have maybe even merged outright. Islamism has all the markings of Bolshevism- a revolutionary vanguard, a radical socialist economic philosophy that rejects finance capitalism, a strategy for winning by destabilizing "infidel" states.


1,747 posted on 06/02/2004 9:02:49 AM PDT by oblomov (recovering libertarian for Bush)
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To: Fred Nerks

Good morning, Fred. Thanks for the links to your articles. I will print them out and read them over lunch (Pacific time).


1,748 posted on 06/02/2004 9:44:36 AM PDT by Wolfstar (Does anyone know what the meaning of IS, is in Clinton-speak?)
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To: Pukin Dog

I forgot to ping you PD to 1735


1,749 posted on 06/02/2004 10:28:30 AM PDT by Future Useless Eater (FreedomLoving_Engineer)
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To: FL_engineer

How can we find out how Berg's aunt died?


1,750 posted on 06/02/2004 10:41:03 AM PDT by TheSpottedOwl (Torrance Ca....land of the flying monkeys)
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To: FL_engineer
Someone on a different discussion forum claimed that Michael Berg's jewish sister, who converted to Islam in Iraq, and lived in Mosul, was RECENTLY killed.

I recall that MB's aunt had married an Iraqi man. Also that she was dead. How was never mentioned.

1,751 posted on 06/02/2004 10:56:28 AM PDT by Shermy
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To: christie; calcowgirl
>>Okay, if Berg's aunt (who remains nameless) lived in Mosul, then we can assume Nick's aunt's husband (Madafer) lived in Mosul. But Nick goes to visit Moffak Mustaffa, Mudafer's brother. So where is Mudafer. And colcowgirl's citation from the Asia Africa Intelligence Wire (post #1717) states Berg's aunt was married to Mustafa.

>>I'm confused by these names. Where is Nick's uncle????

Just about anything goes with Iraqi names. I trust the way NB went into great detail and listed all 3 names of the man he met (minus the tribal name), knowing he might have get someone to vouch for his whereabouts in Mosul.

If 'Mustafa' was their mother's family name and they all had the same mother, then it might be appropriate to list all three brothers as:
Mudafer Mustafa Yasin al-Muzfar,
Moffak Mustafa Yasin al-Muzfar, and
Moyser Mustafa Yasin al-Muzfar.

For a decade or two, Saddam was ordering the tribal names like al-Muzfar to NOT be used. It could be that after his downfall, some persons chose to just give their 1st, 2nd, and tribal(4th) names to a reporter. (Especially if they were sensitive about the strong Yasin family history with the Baathists)

The BBC may have deliberatly shortened the name to "Mustafa al-Muzfar", thinking they were just reporting the mans LAST name. As to where's Waldo... I mean Mudafer... hmmmm... lets see... In Nick's Jan 4 email... He never said. I might surmise Mudafer is NOT currently living in Mosul, or else why would Nick make no attempt to see him, and say nothing else about him in the email. Someone on another site hypothesized Mudafer might be locked up in Abu Gore-reb, or some other prison, but that's a pretty wild guess. ....(or maybe not so wild?) if you assume that most of the Yasin family in Mosul are Baathists.

1,752 posted on 06/02/2004 10:58:15 AM PDT by Future Useless Eater (FreedomLoving_Engineer)
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To: Rennes Templar; All

Nevr fear about the release of the Moore movie....imho I think the Nick Berg case will be exposed right around that time, thus EXPLODING in Fatboy's Fugly Face!! (praying...praying)....is it Christian to pray for Schadenfreude?


1,753 posted on 06/02/2004 11:03:45 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Fred Nerks
Aziz had access to Berg's cell phone records? And what else? His bank account? As a business partner, I imagine that he did. If Berg had his laptop computer with him on 'the trip' with his newfound friends, what information did that contain?

OMG!! Aziz said three calls had been made from Nick's cell phone but how did he KNOW if he didn't have Nick's phone?? Geesh...my head is spinning wih tidbts of info!!

1,754 posted on 06/02/2004 11:11:47 AM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Ann Archy

It is Christian to pray for justice. Moore does not act on Christian principles. In this case, schadenfreude is justifiable, imo...


1,755 posted on 06/02/2004 11:40:51 AM PDT by TheSpottedOwl (Torrance Ca....land of the flying monkeys)
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To: FL_engineer
Thanks, now it makes a bit more sense.

What you are saying is that Michael Berg's sister was married to a probable Saddam loyalist (Baathists)?

I was sort of assuming that Mudafer was no longer in Iraq since Nick didn't go out of his way to look him up, but did go all the way to Mosul to look up his uncle's brother. Where in the world is Mudafer?

1,756 posted on 06/02/2004 11:53:05 AM PDT by christie
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To: MizSterious

Ping to post #1,733! If it's true, this case is NOT being investigated enough ..and reported in the media..and it would be nice to know "why".


1,757 posted on 06/02/2004 2:03:18 PM PDT by Freedom2specul8 (Please pray for our troops.... http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/)
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To: Ann Archy

I didn't mean to infer Aziz had the cell phone itself, but that the account would have been sent to the 'office' they shared. The three telephone calls that were reportedly made could be traced from the numbers on the invoice. (If in fact, any such calls were made.) My interest lies more in the region of any Bank Account that the two, Berg and Aziz made have held as 'business partners' - if Berg gave Duke the impression a large amount of money had been earned - bank records might divulge the source of the funds.
(I guess if there was such an account, it would be well and truly empty by now.)
We continue to ask why all this is not being more deeply investigated. Could it be a matter of priorities and resources? Perhaps when the situation in Iraq is more stable and the new government is in place, more work will be done on this case.


1,758 posted on 06/02/2004 2:54:44 PM PDT by Fred Nerks (WHAT DID MICHAEL MOORE KNOW ABOUT BERG AND WHEN DID HE KNOW IT)
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To: FL_engineer
Re: that link on 1733....Is Chez What telling the truth about the time difference in the beheading video?

Chez What said that the head was held up on a video that had a time stamp of 1:47, but then the other camera 59 minutes LATER had Berg with his head on....and there were differnt people behind him. Do you have any answers to this....is it TRUE??

1,759 posted on 06/02/2004 2:55:44 PM PDT by Ann Archy (Abortion: The Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: Fred Nerks
I still say that we could find a lot out if we had access to the Fed Ex records. Either Michael Moore was lying (quite possible) OR he received tapes through Fed Ex.

If we had the Fed Ex records we would know who was sending stuff to Michael Moore.

1,760 posted on 06/02/2004 2:57:26 PM PDT by Miss Marple
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