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Saddam Hussein’s long history of supporting terrorists has been well-documented by a Bipartisan Senate Intelligence Committee Report. But new documents confirming this are just what is needed to bring this to the attention of the public.
Additionally, the WMD info in this CNS report, if confirmed, is red hot.
Exclusive: Saddam Possessed WMD, Had Extensive Terror Ties
By Scott Wheeler
October 04, 2004
(CNSNews.com) – Iraqi intelligence documents, confiscated by U.S. forces and obtained by CNSNews.com, show numerous efforts by Saddam Hussein’s regime to work with some of the world’s most notorious terror organizations, including al Qaeda, to target Americans. They demonstrate that Saddam’s government possessed mustard gas and anthrax, both considered weapons of mass destruction, in the summer of 2000, during the period in which United Nations weapons inspectors were not present in Iraq. And the papers show that Iraq trained dozens of terrorists inside its borders.
(Hit Tip to Greg Masone.)
Festival Co-Directors Jason Apuzzo and Govindini Murty introduced their feature film, TERMINAL ISLAND. Stylishly produced and photographed, the whole film cost an amazingly low $9,000. In a subsequent conversation with a number of festival attendees, Govindini discussed how this festival could never have taken place 5 years ago, prior to the video technology now available for shooting, editing, sound, etc.
Festival Co-Directors Jason Apuzzo and Govindini Murty
The great Larry Elder introduced his film MICHAEL AND ME, a persuasive discussion of the right to bear arms. It debunked the myth that crime was high in the Wild West; in fact, because most men were armed, crime was very low. It showed that in U.S. states, and in foreign countries, where gun ownership is not restricted, crime has dropped.
Radio and TV Host Larry Elder
Many of Evan Coyne Maloney’s short documentaries are screening during the festival, and his BRAINWASHING 101 will screen on Sunday. He’s in Los Angeles, visiting from New York, for the festival. He and I had exchanged email some months ago, and it was a pleasure to meet him. The cane is due to a recent successful leg operation, and he expects to be off of it within the week.
Documentary Filmmaker Evan Coyne Maloney, Left, Talking to Journalist Andrew Leigh
Sponsor Paul Harberger stated to Andrew Leigh and me that the Festival has been a great success financially, and he has already told Jason and Govindini that he looks forward to backing next year’s edition of it.
Festival Sponsor Paul Harberger
Part One of coverage on the Liberty Film Festival is here.
Part Three of coverage on the Liberty Film Festival is here.
Update 10-3-04: Welcome, Instapundit readers, and thanks to Glenn for linking to this article. My home page is here. I hope new readers will bookmark/blogroll the site and visit often.
Bloglines subscribers, you can click on this button to subscribe to The Big Picture:
Friday night the Liberty Film Festival in Los Angeles, California, was a center of the Conservative universe. Films were screened that tore the roof off the place. It felt like being present at the beginning of something of some historic significance.
The Line For CELSIUS 41.11
Festival Co-Directors Govindini Murty & Jason Apuzzo
Govindini and Jason pushed this thing through from a starting point of zero over the past few months, and their timing was impeccable, as shown by the excellence of the films that were shown on opening night.
Two features were screened.
First was IN THE FACE OF EVIL, Stephen K. Bannon and writer Julia Jones’ story of Reagan’s 40-year battle with Communism. It’s a bio, not only of Reagan, but of most of the 20th century. It’s amazing how it tracks the development of totalitarianism all the way through, from World War One, to 9-11. As it says at the beginning, this is a story, the end of which is not yet known, and in which every one of us is a player.
Afterwards, Bannon talked about how they started on this two years ago, with the inspiration to show us what we can learn about our war against terrorists, from our previous war against fascist and totalitarian cultures. Time and again in the film, you see parallels between what Reagan faced and what we are facing today. Then as now people who called evil by its rightful name, were called warmongers. Then as now, people tried to appease the totalitarian enemy, with the result that they were gamed, played, and taken advantage of.
Don’t miss this film. It is compelling, moving, inspiring, and extremely insightful. It hooks you from the start and is rewarding all the way through. It sets the standard for all the Conservative documentaries that come next.
Bannon stated that the film has already opened in movie theaters in the Dallas area, and its per-screen average was the third-highest in the nation last weekend.
The second feature screened was CELSIUS 41.11, from Writer/Director/Producer Lionel Chetwynd. This thing takes all the arguments against Bush and rips them apart. It blew the roof off the joint. If you have even one friend who’s undecided in the election, make sure to buy this DVD and give it to them. This film needs your support. It was blasted together over the last two months due to the importance of this election. There may not be a release in movie theaters—right now it looks like it may remain available only on DVD. Buy it; see it; tell your friends about it.
Two shorts were screened as well. The first was GregWolfe’s mockumentary GREG WOLFE: REPUBLICAN JEW, about being a conservative in Hollywood. It was really, really funny. The next short was Evan Coyne Maloney’s THE CLINTON LEGACY. As always with Maloney’s work, this was solid and thought-provoking. My favorite of Maloney’s latest work is his terrific BRAINWASHING 101, which screens on Sunday.
The Liberty Film Festival runs through Sunday. If you’re in or near L.A., get your tickets online (they’re not available at the theater), and be there.
Part Two of coverage on the Liberty Film Festival is here.
Part Three of coverage on the Liberty Film Festival is here.
Update 10-2-04: Welcome, Instapundit readers, and thanks to Glenn for linking to this article. My home page is here. I hope new readers will bookmark/blogroll the site and visit often.
Bloglines subscribers, you can click on this button to subscribe to The Big Picture:
Bush was decisive and Kerry was not. Kerry agreed as much in the following exchange:
MR. LEHRER: New—new question, President Bush. There are clearly, as we have heard, major policy differences between the two of you. Are there also underlying character issues that you believe—that you believe—are serious enough to deny Senator Kerry the job as commander in chief of the United States?
PRESIDENT BUSH: Hooh! That’s a loaded question.
...My concerns about the Senator is that, in the course of this campaign I’ve been listening very carefully to what he says, and he changes positions on the war on Iraq. It’s a—changes positions on something as fundamental as what you believe in your core, in your heart of hearts is right—in Iraq. I—you cannot lead if you send mexed miss—mixed messages. Mixed messages send the wrong signals to our troops. Mixed messages send the wrong signals to our allies. Mixed messages send the wrong signals to the Iraqi citizens. And that’s my biggest concern about my opponent. Admire his service, but I—I’m—I just know how this world works. And that in the councils of government there must be certainty from the U.S. president.
...MR. LEHRER: Ninety-second response, Senator.
SEN. KERRY: ...But this issue of certainty. It’s one thing to be certain, but you can be certain and be wrong. It’s another to be certain and be right, or to be certain and be moving in the right direction, or be certain about a principle and then learn new facts and take those new facts and put them to use in order to change and get your policy right. What I worry about with the president is that he’s not acknowledging what’s on the ground, that he’s not acknowledging the realities in North Korea, he’s not acknowledging the truth of the science of stem-cell research or of global warming and other issues. And certainty sometimes can get you in trouble.
Bush says Kerry’s indecisive, and Kerry responds that being decisive isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It seems like Kerry’s position on this is a tough sell, coming from someone who wants to be President.
If I had to take a wild guess as to what will ultimately be considered the key exchange of this debate, that would be it.
When either candidate was talking, the annoyed reactions of the other produced a comedic effect. It threatened to turn the whole thing into a comedy routine. This split-screen thing has got to go.
