Summer is here and post production on Iraq For Sale is in full swing. This week we finished up the last of our interviews for the film. We were able to get some more brave people telling us the truth about what is happening, but we also came up against some road blocks.
We were planning to interview two Iraqi citizens who are part of a lawsuit against one of the corporations which we focus on in the film. Arrangements had been made to fly them out of Iraq to nearby Dubai so that we could interview them openly. The two men were on the plane in Iraq ready to take off when they were unexpectedly pulled from their seats and told they could not travel. We tried to get them out of Iraq the next day, but they were prohibited from traveling. We were never given a full explanation but I feel that because of the lawsuit these gentlemen are being watched very closely. We do have access to their videotaped depositions for the film.
One of the final interviews we taped was with a retired senior military official. He was blunt in his assessment of what has happened in Iraq over the past three years. He said, "One of the things that repels me as a former soldier whose friends are still in active duty, serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, elsewhere, is the way unscrupulously greedy people in industry or on Capitol Hill wrap themselves in the flag and invoke our troops. 'Nothing's too good for our troops.' Well, I'll tell you, the troops often don't get enough stuff that's barely good enough. The troops increasingly get what defense industry wants to sell them rather than what they genuinely need."
He goes on to say, "One of the many reasons, primary reason why we've had such difficulty in Iraq is because we broke the basic rules. A military occupation is a straightforward occupation. It's tough, it's complex, but there are basic rules. You send enough troops, you impose a rule of law, and you don't turn it into a looting orgy for American corporations, which we did."
This is from the raw footage and will go through the editing process so I don't know exactly what will make it into the film, but I'm sure some of the things that this retired soldier said will be there. Editing is the focus these days at Brave New Films. We will have three full time editors and two assistant editors working almost around the clock with Robert to get a rough cut of the film done in a few weeks and the final cut done sometime in August. I will have more details soon regarding the release date of the film, the DVD, and the start of our house party education and outreach program. Right now I am finalizing the partners we will have in creating our 'action guide' that will serve as a supplement to the film.
Thanks to everyone for all the suggestion you made on the trailer. Believe me, Robert read every one of them as did I and many others on the Brave New Staff. A new trailer is being created now and will be ready for everyone to see soon. This will be the trailer that will be in theatres this summer promoting the film.
That's all for now.
Thanks again for your support.
Best,
Jim
You might want to somehow incorporate this into your film. Very few are aware of this.
On May 5 Bush gave John Negroponte the authority to EXEMPT publicly-held defense contractors from adhering to financial reporting requirements contained within the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, purportedly to hide information about top-secret defense contracts.
SECTION 13[b][3][A]: The amended version of the 1934 act states that "with respect to matters concerning the national security of the United States," the President or the head of an Executive Branch agency may exempt companies from certain critical legal obligations. These obligations include keeping accurate "books, records, and accounts" and maintaining "a system of internal accounting controls sufficient" to ensure the propriety of financial transactions and the preparation of financial statements in compliance with "generally accepted accounting principles."
According to BUSINESSWEEK “President George W. Bush has bestowed on his intelligence czar, John Negroponte, broad authority, in the name of national security, to excuse publicly traded companies from their usual accounting and securities-disclosure obligations.” … William McLucas, the Securities & Exchange Commission's former enforcement chief, suggested that the ability to conceal financial information in the name of national security could lead some companies "to play fast and loose with their numbers." McLucas, a partner at the law firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr in Washington, added: "It could be that you have a bunch of books and records out there that no one knows about." …
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/may2006/nf20060523_2210.htm
Mark Faulk brought up some good points in ‘The Circle of Greed: The Cloak of Invisibility’:
How many times has the exemption been used? Who knows? The administration isn’t telling, and since the companies who are exempt don’t have to “keep accurate books, records, and accounts,” there is no way to know whether any … or whether all … defense contractors, or even companies who are loosely-related to defense spending, are playing by the rules. It is effectively a corporate cloak of invisibility …
Want to know whether Halliburton’s financial records are accurate, or even if they’re required to keep records at all? Sorry, the administration won’t tell you that. Wonder if Boeing or Lockheed, or any of a thousand other publicly-traded companies, is telling you the truth about their financial condition? Nope, that’s top secret. Refer to section 13[b][3][A] of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, thank you very much …
http://www.faulkingtruth.com/Articles/Investing101/1057.html
I like the title: "Iraq for Sale."
Please consider a subtitle in slightly smaller print that is a quote from the film:
". . . a looting orgy for American corporations. . ."
I'm so excited and really can't wait for the release and all that will follow. We're proud to be a small part of this important document.
D & S Bollenbacher
In the limited television and newspaper reports I have seen here in the United States, there hasn't been any discussion about just how much crude oil is being pumped out of Iraqi soil since the military invasion, nor who is selling it to whom.
As I understand things, that is what the war is about, isn't it?
Details such as how the salary of a US Army Reservist compares to that of a Halliburton contractor are interesting. However, I think the oil is a bigger issue, which I would like your film to address. What is happening to the oil? If data on Iraqi oil pumping and exportation are available to the public via some other medium, would you please direct me so that I may learn?
Thank you for making this movie, and good wishes with your production. I appreciate your work.
JS
I recall the reaction to Michael Moore's film: Fahrenheit 911. Most people, even outspoken democrat coworkers, thought is was information never before revealed, yet internet surfers heard, read, and saw it all before. Moore's film might have not been shock and awe for the tin foil cap wearing conspiracy theorists - well speaking for myself. :D
I am afraid that this film might lack the punch it should because the public is already worn out hearing from the left about corporate corruption. They need names of people in the corporations who did the "deeds" and they need the reasons why you were denied access to certain witnesses - two bad you don't have film of the two former military being taken from the plane.
Since this is a film that will last forever, while you don't need proof beyond a reasonable doubt, you need to get close enough that a grand jury would indict. I have seen too many allegations with no back up, and these ultimately hurt the cause. All the hoopla over Karl Rove being indictment meat looked silly when he wasn't indicted. Don't let that happen here.
Keep up the good work, John
1)I saw the trailer and thought it looked a little lame.
2)I think it is superimportant what you guys are doing, so thanks for that.
3) When you tackle the greedy corporations I think it is very important to know which individuals are standing behind them, because it is all a good old boy/s club, and I also think it is of mayor importance to highlight what political or structural set up in America and elsewhere makes it possible for this group of reckless people to do what they are doing. Obviously the system is flawed and has to be changed
Thanks again, keep up the good work, Marina
Just listened to a rebroadcast of 4 Apr 2005 Catherine Austin Fitts interview on Govt Black Budgets; has watched the money flows on the inside, knows the philosophy behind it; may be useful in providing broad and sweeping insights into how and why the issue you are investigating happens; info on www.coasttocoastam.com
Someone on the movie staff should listen to the broadcast and see if it would be worth talking with her.
I'm glad I contributed. I hope the makers of this film have taken a good look at the evidence that proves the Bush Admin. planned and perpetrated the events of 911. The proof I'm referring to can be seen on many different documentaries such as, “911 In Plane Sight” and “Loose Change” as well as at the web site fromthewilderness.com and others.
It is essential to know this information in order to understand what’s really going on. For those who have not seen this evidence its very hard to believe that Dick Chaney, Donald Rumsfeld and many others in our government are the terrorists who pulled off that job but its true. Its also very important to know. Good luck with this fine film effort. Don
Hi
I would concentrate on making a really good film. as you have before, as this will get the point over better to a larger audience. rather than just getting company name's up there.
We will all make up our own minds of who is feeding at the trough, and hopefully will make buying decisions as regards these companies in the future.
I'm really looking forward to this new film, guys! I hope it names names--both individuals & companies--making it very clear exactly WHO is busy reaping huge profits on the blood of our guys & on Iraqi blood as well. Kudos to you for doing what you do.
Note to commenter Allan Feldt--it might be a good idea to use SpellCheck or some other method to edit your post if you're going to criticize the film-makers for similar errors, lol!!
I am hoping as you get closer to releasing the film, you can show names of some of these greedy corporations in the trailer. The public needs to recognize and associate the people you interviewed with these companies as a way to energize and anger them into seeing the movie. Maybe a little more shock and awe in the trailer since we do have a remote control-surfing/ADD society.
One thing I noticed in the Trailer that I neglected to mention. TIn one of the early interviews the woman said something ab out US tropps earning only 2 or 3 thousand a ay while truck drivers etc were making as much as $50,000 a month. Obviously she meant 2-3 thousand a month, not per day.
My mind immediately self c orrected it but I am sure I heard the flaw in the copoy I saw. Better check it.
I see Frontline is doing an hour covering much of what you
say you are covering on June 27, Tuesday night, on PBS. I hope your film measures up. It definately was lacking strength and purpose in the preview I saw. Putting the names of the people interviewed in the film won't help me believe those people. The all look greedy and in the Iraq business for money and then they just decided it was too much work and scary too.