if you haven't already seen this movie, see it.. I can't think of a better documentary of how things are done in the world of big business, big oil and puppet governments


http://syrianamovie.warnerbros.com/

I have seen this film twice and a line from the godfather movie comes to mind.
"Nothing personal its just business."


Flying ,its not just a job its an adventure

I saw the movie. It was gripping. The movie did not get into it but did allude to the fact that first Gulf War and the second one in 2003 was all about oil. Russia and France had the advatangeous contract with Iraq and obviously oil corporations of Great Britain and the USA did like that one bit. There are other interest groups who were at play implied in the movie.

When I was in the military, I was disgusted to find out that retired Cols and Generals were working for defense contractors vying for defense contracts that could affect the military for the next 10 years or more.

Some of this movie is based on a book called "See No Evil" by an ex-CIA guy and I recall when I first saw this movie, I went with a friend who was former British SAS and he told me that it was frighteningly accurate in so many ways with regards to the way under cover agents are used in ways that benefit business as and have little to do with actual military defense...

Beirut was at time known as the Paris of the Middle East before it was demolished to hell by Israelis and the Hezbolahs infighting amongst themselves.

One element left out by the movies was the Israelis intelligence outfit. Their network is extensive and includes industrial espionage against the western nations especially the US.

Our national safety is second priority to the CIA, NSA and the likes. They seem to have separate agendas. You mentioned military defense, just look at the fact that Pentagon selected the European Airbus for the lucrative billion dollars tanker project when they could have selected a US Company. I read the Pentagon rationale and they make absolutely no sense. Many experts have stated that Boeing aircraft could have been retrofitted far cheaper than Airbus. The presidential helicopter contract was also given to the European Eurocopter, instead of giving it to a US Company like Sikorsky Corporation.

It reminds me of one of the best lines in the movie... when the guy who should inherit the rule of Syriana (the fictional oil country) looks at Matt Damon who plays the oil analyst and tells him... well, here just watch for yourself..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4IdWUzrcJM

Only thing is in reality, instead of the US president supporting the US Company manufacturers, he has given away lucrative defense contracts like the tanker project worth billions of dollars to the Europeans. Makes no sense, and as a veteran, it disgusts me. What's next, US soldiers taking orders from the United Nations European Commanders?

It is true Saudis and other middle Eastern princes and Shieks are spending money like water. When I toured Eurocopter plant in Marseilles, the company rep said they have seen orders for $30 million dollar helicopters equipped with gold plated handles and faucets for the lavs.

They also regularly fly to the US in their B747s and go on shopping sprees that makes the most ostentatious rich people of this country look like scrooge.

it's both... trust me, the Royal families in the ME are nothing but puppet governments put in place initially by that first oil superpower the UK, and now propped up by the US. Our support of those regimes, along with unilateral support of Israel as made us the bane of the man on the street in the Muslim world.. it's going to be our undoing. With 1.2 billion muslims scattered thru out 50+ countries, we can't even nukem into non-existence! We need a major shift in global geopolitical strategy and return to a more self sufficient and isolationist (there I said it!).. stance.

Funny you should bring this up. In the nineties, President Clinton attempted to do just that! Under Presidential Directive No. 25, he tried to place U.S. Troops directly under foreign field commanders at the direct wishes of the U.N. It was our command staff that informed him of the unconstitutionality of such a move. Just another attempt by this former president to subvert any accountability.

I couldn't agree with you more there. We are like walking targets thanks to our idiotic foreign policy in the middle east. Instead of being an impartial mediator, we have been identified as the "big brother" to Israel thanks to our, as you have stated, "unilateral support" of Israel. We do need a drastic shift in global geopolitical strategy, one that looks out for the interest of the US Citizens, for once.