Senators condemn interrogation scenes in 'Zero Dark Thirty'
By Pam Benson
Three U.S. senators say the new film about the Osama bin Laden raid is "grossly inaccurate and misleading" in how it depicts CIA interrogations as torture and have called on the studio distributing "Zero Dark Thirty" to publicly state the movie is not based on fact.
In a bipartisan letter to Sony Pictures Entertainment on Wednesday, Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin and Republican Sen. John McCain said they were deeply disappointed in the film.
"Zero Dark Thirty is factually inaccurate, and we believe that you have an obligation to state that the role of torture in the hunt for Osama bin Laden is not based on the facts, but rather part of the films fictional narrative," the senators wrote.
The beginning of the movie depicts harrowing scenes of a suspected terrorist being interrogated at a secret CIA prison overseas using controversial harsh interrogation techniques including waterboarding, which simulates drowning. The suggestion in the film is those coercive techniques aided in identifying the courier who eventually led to bin Laden's hideout.
Movie puts U.S. interrogation back in the spotlight
The senators' letter cites the recently completed nearly four-year review by the Senate Intelligence Committee of the CIA's interrogation and detention program, which includes details on the bin Laden operation. Although the report is classified, the letter to Sony includes a reference to a previous statement by Feinstein and Levin based on that review.
"The CIA did not learn about the existence of the (Osama bin Laden) courier from detainees subjected to coercive interrogation techniques. ... Instead, the CIA learned of the existence of the courier, his true name and location through means unrelated to the CIA detention and interrogation program."
The senators are concerned that people seeing the movie will think it represents fact and that torture will be accepted as an effective way of gathering intelligence. "The film therefore has the potential to shape American public opinion in a disturbing and misleading manner," the letter states.
Screenwriter on interrogation debate
The senators said "Zero Dark Thirty "was "perpetuating the myth that torture is effective" and maintained Sony has a "social and moral obligation to get the facts right."
Filmmakers Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal issued a statement saying the film condenses 10 years of intelligence work into a 2 1/2-hour film.
"We depicted a variety of controversial practices and intelligence methods that were used in the name of finding bin Laden. The film shows that no single method was necessarily responsible for solving the manhunt, nor can any single scene taken in isolation fairly capture the totality of efforts the film dramatizes," their statement said. "One thing is clear: the single greatest factor in finding the world's most dangerous man was the hard work and dedication of the intelligence professionals who spent years working on this global effort. We encourage people to see the film before characterizing it."
"Zero Dark Thirty" opened in theaters on Wednesday.
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The day when the senator prove beyond a reasonable doubt what they are harping about IS NOT true is the day they can be believed. Politicians lie so freely and so often that nothing they yap about can be truly believe. Open their mouth? Lies come out.
As someone famous might have said, There is only one rule when it comes to making love and war, and that is, there are no rules!
Torturing political prisoners is never right, no mater how hard these right-wing idiots try to justify it! That movie "Zero Dark Thirty" should be condemned too for trying to glorify the murder of one man. In fact, we still don't know whether that it was the true Ussama bin Laden or an impostor who was killed on May 2 of last year.
great. now you're going to tell me the rambo series was made up too...
This is how the CIA operates, even though they know torture doesn't work. I would confess to anything too if I was being water boarded, wouldn't you?
Well said, fineart. Thank you.
You got one person that knows how to save 20 million people. If you torture him you saved the 20 million people. If you do not torture him 20 million people die. – – Pop quiz: " Does the One Outweigh the Many." or "Does the Many Outweigh the One." To torture are not to torture is the question. 🙂
Mother nature is a pain in the rumpus only the strong survive. Are you could say only the prepared survive.
Except that torture doesn't give good information. GIGO = garbage in, garbage out.
it doesn't matter what the committee concluded, every teabagger in the US wants to believe the torture version – for them, torture was the ONLY reason we found bin laden and they'll not hear of anything else.
One terrorist had his thingy sliced open with a scalpel while being held by the CIA in a third world country. LOL!
LOL...these are the same people that just got done slamming the Armerican public with lie after lie in the most dishonest presidential election in the history of our country....and they are worried about a fictional movie? These people need to be rinsed back into the sewer from which they came.
These "Fictional Movies" are only fictional if you’re sitting on the wrong side of the isle. Look how many believed that 2016 was real, FOOLS! They are grasping to those misplaced morals…it’s a MOVIE. I'm glad that they can waste time doing a review on a movie but not the budget, just shows their true colors.
Who cares which Bush /Cheney inspired actions allowed the swine to be whacked giving Obama something to crow about ? It worked.
Do the senators think the american people don't have brains. We know its a movie. I'm sure there are some people that may try to say it is true in what happened – but most people are smart enough to know when we go to a movie it's not real!
It's not real. They are actors . And yet many folks let these actors influence voting and other "real " issues . Why do we believe one thing but not the other ?
Ronald Reagan was an actor.
Bob – Reagan was a very BAD actor and a very BAD conservative!!!! Reagan put the CON in CONservative!!!!!!! Hahaahahahahahah
Apparently, most people on this message board condone the 'enhanced interrogation techniques' that were used on Sen McCain and other US servicemen by the North Vietnamese.
Did Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Carl Levin and Republican Sen. John McCain, actually go, pay their money, and watch the film? When?
If those three all publicly protest that it is a lie, then in all probability it is the truth. Besides, if we didn't need torture to get to OBL, then why was it ever justified at all?
Gonzo,
did you forget that McCain himself was a victim of torture when he was a POW in Vietnam? if anyone would know about the accuracy (or lack there of) of information obtained through torture, it would be him.
And as for your "why was it ever justified at all?" question... yeah, that is a good question, why don't you ask the Bush administration officials who gave it cover by saying things like "the Geneva Conventions do not apply". it is not justified, ever. we are better than that as a nation. that is what makes us the greatest nation in the world.
They learned the indentification of the courier from nationals of another country torturing detainees rather than directly being tortured by CIA employees, who were in the next room during interrogations. Read between the lines in the CIA statements to understand the truth. The movie may be technically innacurate, but it is correct in spirit.
Odd, as usual NOTHING getting done in Washington, yet the the senators have time and attention to address a movie......yes folks a movie.
Just what are these senators collecting a paycheck all the while our country is political/economic mess.
Odd, as usual NOTHING getting done in Washington, yet the the senators have time and attention to address a movie......yes folks a movie.
Just what are these senators collecting a paycheck all the while our country is political/economic mess.
Thank you so very, very much for saying that. I could not have said it better.
Yes, but you said it just as well.
They can't take a couple hours out of the 24 available to them each and every day to watch a movie and make a public statement? It's quite possible you have unrealistic expectations of how much they have to work over the course of a week...even the 100 hour a week sort of laborer can find 2 hours for their own pursuits. Especially when said pursuit has actual, if immaterial, relevance to their job.
Of course they want us to see the movie first. They want to get our money before we judge the film.
How would you judge the film before seeing it?
Isn't America great? We have both Democrats and Republicans going on record that this movie is a lie, yet this American movie will be released and used as propaganda against us. With more fanfare and exposure than that freaking YouTube video that Hillary accused of formenting the Benghazi murders. What a country!
You're saying that the film should be stopped from release, because the government claims lies in it? You're a great American, lol.
When both Democrats and Republicans agree on something, then I know something's up, especially if it's something that's needed to cover and protect the American image.
Yep, I guess I'll feel REAL bad about seeing a depiction of an Islamic terrorist getting his head dunked in water right after I remember Americans jumping from the top floors of the Twin Towers. Yeah, right.
Funny, those senators had no problem approving the use of those "enhanced" interrogation techniques. I guess they just don't like to actually see the repercussions of their decisions.
Hey Jeebus, take your sympathy for Islamic murderers and shove it where the sun don't shine.
Perhaps it's not sympathy, perhaps he just does not want to become like them? Islamic Radicals and followers use questionable tactics. Not us, and if we do or have, it needs to be addressed.
All I can think about is the movie "Unthinkable" – I was torn with the ending. I mean I didn't want Jackson's character to actually use the terrorists kids – but in my darkest heart of hearts I'm thinking – ...his two kids for thousands of kids?...
We quarantine contagious people to protect the greater populous. If firefighters have a choice between two children going off the bridge in a car or a bus load of children going off the same bridge at the same time with the same chances of a successful rescue who do you pick the two or the bus load?... I personally would have to go for the bus load.
I think when it comes to protecting your home, people in your country – sorry whatever it takes to save my family and yours against the people who would intentionally harm others. We have got to take care of Americans before the rest of the world and their feelings at all costs. Then after we get our own collective backyards cleaned up we can worry about the rest of the world.
Finally, the people who choose to become terrorist had the option of not being one. That would have avoided any torture that may have occurred. I don't rob banks because I make a choice not to steal or harm people and the fact 25 yrs in the pen isn't too appealing at all.
At Soboth, How do you go from questionable scenes in a movie to talking about the school shooting in Conn. Guns are not the issue of this debate. When are people going to get the fact the people who commit murder, rape, etc aren't concerned with gun laws. A person who kills or rapes isn't worried about an illegal weapons charge. Keeping the American people from owning guns will only create more victims – solely due to the fact they could not protect themselves. One last thing have you ever noticed how many people are murdered without a gun? Do we hide all the kitchen knives, extension cords, rope, etc? Are we going to bubble wrap mens and womens hands who abuse children? For goodness sake, let the American people protect themselves as much as possible, with a firearm, stick, tire iron, whatever it takes to save your family or yourself from the predators. And how about the bad people actually taking responsibility for their bad actions instead of blaming anyone other than themselves – the one person who could have made a different choice.
What i love about the neverending War on Terror is that we can now torture and kill anyone anywhere in the world without justification. And the bloodthirsty, brainwashed populace will cheer loudly...
Hey Lemon, and exactly how to you know that is what is going on????? Ummmmmm??????
I watch the news...
I got news for you, Lemon. MSLSD is NOT the news.
Funny though everytime one of our drones kills 20 or so people, i see lots of approving comments and cheering, don't you? But they're brown bad people, right? Keep believing the lies Fox tells you.
Lemon, Kumbaya baby, kumbaya, right? I don't give a hoot what color our enemies are. If they declare themselves my enemy then yeah, I'm just fine launching hellfires at them. Dude, really, the old race card ain't working in this discussion.
"How much blood do they have on their hands when tragedies like Sandy Hook happens.". Gee, you might want to look at who makes weapons like the assault rifle used available to mentally unstable people. That would be the GOP and the NRA.
You'll love it when the state deems you mentally unstable.
Have you been to your doctor lately? Only a doctor can diagnose you. Scare tactics don’t work..
CNN, I should be able to reply to peoples' replies. Anyway...
@BobPitt – Doctors are people too and can misdiagnose intentionally or unintentionally. Also, the government has the power to influence these diagnoses by setting up the standards required.
Hey Saboth, just remember, liberalism is a mental disease. BTW, plenty of Dems believe in the second amendment too. Nice try though. Idiot.
The firearms belonged to his mother. SHE should have been more responsible and had them locked up knowing that her son was disturbed.
Exactly!
She took him target practicing, I guess he did well she got four shots to the back of the head.. The woman had no common sense and that got her killed..
So... it was someone WITHOUT a mental illness that was at fault with guns? jeeze, thats a real ground shaking thought right there. I didn't know that average people could missuse firearms. now I'm really questioning whether the republican base is lying to me...
It is a breath of fresh air to see that we can have bi partisan cooperation to condemn a movie. Almost makes me forget about the fiscal cliff!!!!!!
The Hollywood film industry which is the biggest producer of violence and is responsible for desensitizing adults and children to violence is also the biggest contributor to the Dems’ electoral coffers. How much blood do they have on their hands when tragedies like Sandy Hook happens.
Who's forcing you to see those movies?
Are you kidding? Millions of people go to see violent movies without anyone forcing them to and become DESENSITIZED to it, and actually enjoy it. Those who remain "sensitive" to violent scenes and blood and gore DON'T go to see them.
Did you forget Arnold?
Linking Hollywood violence and Democrats? How blind you are to the truth. Save your outrage for those with lesser memories.
Our government tortured prisoners during the war on terror. This has been common knowledge for years (or am I the only one who remembers the Bush presidency). Bush administration officials tried to say they weren't using torture, they tried to redefine it as using "enhanced interrogation techniques", but they clearly violated the Geneva convention and were therefore illegal. Waterboarding, abdomen strikes, hypothermia. Any court of law in the US would jail it's own citizens guilty of committing one of these offenses against a fellow citizen. Yet our government authorized these procedures (and more) for use by our military and intelligence forces. We also know that our government allowed the use of such techniques by contractors (aka mercenaries like Blackwater). And we know that our government ran a secret prisoner program that sent prisoners to so-called "black sites" where torture was used (but since it was committed in other countries by their intelligence services, we were technically within the law).
And they claim to be so concerned about a movie? If they want to do something helpful then answer this question: Why has not one person involved in the US's illegal torture programs ever been brought before a court of law? It's hypocritical. Going after a movie for a such a minor slight while remaining silent and impotent in the face of a real violation of the law. All three of them were in office while this was going on yet none of them has done anything about it. This is yet another example of political theater. Make a lot of noise but take no real action.
These senators have probably been asking Queen Elizabeth why she didn't send James Bond to do the job.
McCain: Wha...? He is a fictional character? But I saw him in the movies....
"Is it not that there exists a government within the government in the United Sates? That secret government must be asked as to who carried out the attacks."
– Osama bin Laden, 9/28/01
http://pulverizedtonearpower.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/pulverized-to-near-power/
If these Senators are so worried, perhaps they could work on making sure those that did approve of torture face a day in court.
Right Scott, lets go after the good guys. Like a said, liberalism is a mental disease, example = Scott B.
People who torture others are not good guys. They are worse than many of those that are deemed bad. And it's funny you would call me liberal. Is that your word for anyone that disagrees with you?
All your heroes have been sadists, I take it?
Forget the movie. Torture has been used by all people's since the dawn of mankind. Long may it continue to be used as a legitimate tool for gathering intelligence.
Torture only produces the results that the torturer wants. I guarantee that if I tortured you until you barked like a dog and admitted that you were a Basset Hound and not really a human being, it wouldn't take long to achieve your full confession.
Hey Red Dog, and you're an expert of enhanced interrogation techniques because???????????????
Are you volunteering to test my theory, flyboy? I'm betting that I can make you sit up and beg and lick your own ballz in no time at all. And I'm no expert.
I hear a challenge! Lets televise this ... I got no NHL... Besides, we're all desensitized anyhoot.
I wish I could lick my Balls.
Read up on School of The Americas. Torture is always taught by the CIA and military. They pretend to be teaching you how to avoid it, or they claim it's the methods you may be subjected to by the enemy, but they're really teaching you how to do it effectively. America is the best teacher of torture.
How about something like this:
THE SCENES DEPICTING TORTURE IN THIS FILM ARE FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun..." Don't be deluded by the obvious, we have ways of making you talk.
"By the men who moil for gold"......Not power....this would make Service turn in his grave.
The senators said "Zero Dark Thirty "was "perpetuating the myth that torture is effective"
Oh, PLEASE spare me. If the CIA didn't think that "harsh interrogation techniques", ie torture (lets be honest and call it what it is), were effective in gaining vital information, they wouldn't use them, and don't think for a second that they don't. Of course our government is going to deny using torture. They will do whatever it takes, whenever, and wherever in the "War On Terror".
Hear hear. Anyone who thinks we are NOT torturing people on a daily basis is absurdly naive.
ANYONE who thinks the whole rest of the world does much more hideous torture than water boarding every day is deluded, naive, and probably gay too.
It was torture just reading most of this ... stuff.
The torture never stops-FZ
Torture is very effective in achieving results. It's just that the result the torturer wants isn't always "accurate information" or "helpful cooperation." The Spanish Inquisition demonstrated this quite well.
And people wonder why there is "gun violence" in the United States? This is what we feed our kids and young adults. This is what they consume. And this is mild, comparatively speaking.
Obviously, the movie has gratuitous torture scenes in it.......because that is what draws in the most people to make it profitable for the movie makers. It is about time we started railing about this. It is not about whether the CIA uses torture, it is about why Americans seem to love to see it (any kind of violence) depicted in a movie. It is about how desensitized people have become that IS RELATED to what happened in Sandy Hook.....and all its ramifications.
That's because people are poor, starving and stupid. but the CIA should know better.
Have you people not figured out my now,you can't tell a CNN AH Liberal one thing!!Ya know,they're not only big fans of CNN they also believe anything and everyting that comes out of HOLLYWEIRD too!!!
Agreed. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and it's amazing how all the fruits and nuts flock there thinking it's for them because of Hollyweird. Then they find out who runs the place- the truly sick like Travolta and Zionists and alternative lifestyle disease spreaders.
does this mean that abe lincoln wasn't a vampire hunter?
Of course he was. And so were Grant and Sherman.
And I'll bet their favorite brand of cider was Dicken's. Dicken's cider. LOL
A disclaimer because people might think the depictions are based on fact? Did "Star Wars" or "Men in Black" come with disclaimers? No? OMG – they must be factual!
Oh yes. The genre of this flick is SO much like that of Star Wars and/or Men in Black. You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you?
"The CIA did not learn about the existence of the (Osama bin Laden) courier from detainees subjected to coercive interrogation techniques. ... Instead, the CIA learned of the existence of the courier, his true name and location through means unrelated to the CIA detention and interrogation program."
Complete and total bull$h1t. Feinstein is one of the most prolific liars Congress has to offer. Always has been. No statement attached to her name can be taken at face value. I don't even know what to say about McCain. Most of the time I'm not sure he knows where he is or who he's talking to.
So Feinstein, the democrat is a liar, but John McCain, the republican, is just old? He is the BIGGEST liar in Congress.
"The senators are concerned that people seeing the movie will think it represents fact"
Whoa... you mean it isn't real?
You are completely misconstruing the statement you are quoting. Of course the movie itself isn't "real"......but the desensitization of those who see a movie like this for "entertainment" is more than "real", it is scary. These senators may not be making that point, but THAT IS THE BOTTOM LINE.
Some people are also "deeply disappointed" with Sen. John McCain's recent behavior.
Who cares???? What about the 3000 that died on 911,What about the beheadings by the Taliban???
Fight fire with fire thats all they understand
As long as hypocritical d-bag conservatives stop referring to this country of criminals as a "christian country", then yes, go right on torturing and killing.
COULD NOT AGREE MORE.
Dear USA: please feel free to do what you need to do.
I care. We've invaded multiple countries and killed hundreds of thousands of people as retribution for those 3000 people. I think that's way, way, way more than enough. Do you not realize that people over there ask the exact same type of question about their people that we've killed? And those were done by our government and therefore the consent of the American people rather than a just a terrorist group.
Good job Scott, You'd make a great Canadian, but I'm glad you're there for the voice of reason in the United States.
It's funny, because what you're saying is more of a Christian sentiment than the "Christian" republicans. what happened to turn the other cheek? or an eye for an eye? they got our eye, we took their head... yea, that'll make things right...
not to mention How knee jerk the reaction after 9/11 was. I'm not a conspiracy theorist... but there are some very odd things about that day and the subsequent days afterwards.
Wow. The nut cases arout in force on this one.
The movie has been roundly panned for its 24 style dipiction of the cheney bush lie that torture is a necessary evil. It is not. It is just evil. And as everyone who has actually done interrogation will testify, it is an evil that produces more disinformation which wastets time than anything useful. Convincing the gullible otherwise is a disservice to humanity.
Yea you nut cases sure are!
Let the intelligence community do its work. It knows how to do its job. Don't believe the myths.
And how many years did you serve in the CIA as an interrogator? I can answer that question. Zero. If you were a former operative you sure as hell wouldn't be discussing it on a CNN thread! The point is, you obviously haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about and are only mindlessly parroting someone else's politically motivated talking points. It's quite transparent, really.
unfortunately, it's History of human kind. unless you truly believe we've learned a lesson ? the gun debate tells me we havn't.
Hollywood creates myths? The "Lincoln" film Glorifies myths (nice term for: Gigantic Lie) and Harry Reid is closing the Senate for a viewing.
Actually historians reviewing Lincoln say exactly the opposite. In fact there was a piece by a history professor in the NY Times lat week that said not only is the film excellent and accurate, but it advances the historiography on Lincoln. Something that i have never heard of a film doing in the past.
But you doubt know better than history professors......
Actually most hostorians DO NOT think it was accurate.The history professor you reference is reportedly friends with the person who wrote the book on which Lincoln was based. Mary Lincoln was not simply a grieving, hard headed but misunderstood best friend and confidant to the president. She was presumed to have mental illness, likely bipolar or narrcisism and was eventually committed by her son. Lincoln makes her a kinder, gentler Mary. Also, the last scene where the actaul ammendment bill ends up in bed is gratuitous pandering to african americans. It is actually a slap in the face to all of the black women who, be it by force or coercion, were bedded by white men in power, be they in the North or South. The open loving relationship depicted was a fallicy.
You are so wrong.
oK, 'HISTORY BUFF".....what exactly in the Lincoln movie is a "glorified myth"? Don't just throw out statements like that without backing it up.
As I recall, a few years ago Republican Sen. John McCain stated that Obama weakened our resolve by eliminating
these harsh forms of interrogations.
McCain introduced the Detainee Treatment Act of 1995 to to eliminate torture as an officially sanctioned means of obtaining information by the armed services. You must be talking about someone else.
McCain must have fallen asleep during the Bush administration that brought waterboarding to a fine art of torture.
I believe you recall wrongly. Mclame may be an imbecile, but he has always been against torture, having endured it himself.
Leave it to a wolverine to be misguided and lame
So you're claiming that what he said about McCain is untrue? He never submitted such legislation? Well, for the record he most certainly did. Given that fact, I for one would really like to hear you defend your baseless position. See, that's what grownups do.
I didn't know we were paying these AH's to be movie critics, I wonder how much it cost the taxpayer for these idiots to notify SONY that they think the film should include a disclaimer. Well if all of our taxes go up on Jan 1st we can all rest easy knowing that these JERKS made sure we all know this film isn't based on fact...........what would I ever do without the government.
They ar not critiquing the film, they are rightly pointing out that this kind of false depiction of history can have a major influence over the gullible and easily fooled...you know sort of like fox noise.... And can therefore effect public policy.
You must be referring to the Liberal version of history.
'What would I ever do without the government?'
Youd be free, for starters.
Unless you were a slave.
WARNING : PROPAGANDA ALERT OBL was dead long before the raid on "his" compound in Pakistan.
Exactly,this is just cover up for Osama raid lie.
Wow. You must have awesome inside information. Jeez, I wish I was as "in the know" as you.
bahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lil sheep
And the goubbmint is hiding aliens at area 51 and kennedy was shot by Bigfoot and the trade center attack was a Jewish conspiracy......
Gulf of Tonken in Vietnam, Jessica Lynch story , Pat Tillman coverup, WMDS in Iraq no the grubberment would never i repeat never lie to the American people, or excuse me to the American Sheeple like you, itsaconspiracy!