CIA | Message from the Acting Director: "Zero Dark Thirty"

[gatagato]

CIA chief sends out extraordinary email to entire staff complaining about agency's portrayal in Zero Dark Thirty

The CIA's acting director has sent out a scathing public deploration of film Zero Dark Thirty to his entire staff after watching what he calls entertaining historical inaccuracies in its portrayal of the raid of Osama bin Laden's compound.

Billed as 'the story of history's greatest manhunt for the world's most dangerous man' by using firsthand accounts, the film recounts U.S. troops' top secret mission while highlighting the first hours of May 1st of 2011.

'I would not normally comment on a Hollywood film, but I think it's important to put Zero Dark Thirty which deals with one of the most significant achievements in our history, into some context,' Mike Morell began in his note to his staff on Friday.


Statement to Employees from Acting Director Michael Morell: "Zero Dark Thirty"December 21, 2012

I would not normally comment on a Hollywood film, but I think it important to put Zero Dark Thirty, which deals with one of the most significant achievements in our history, into some context. The film, which premiered this week, addresses the successful hunt for Usama Bin Ladin that was the focus of incredibly dedicated men and women across our Agency, Intelligence Community, and military partners for many years. But in doing so, the film takes significant artistic license, while portraying itself as being historically accurate.

What I want you to know is that Zero Dark Thirty is a dramatization, not a realistic portrayal of the facts. CIA interacted with the filmmakers through our Office of Public Affairs but, as is true with any entertainment project with which we interact, we do not control the final product.

It would not be practical for me to walk through all the fiction in the film, but let me highlight a few aspects that particularly underscore the extent to which the film departs from reality.

•First, the hunt for Usama Bin Ladin was a decade-long effort that depended on the selfless commitment of hundreds of officers. The filmmakers attributed the actions of our entire Agency—and the broader Intelligence Community—to just a few individuals. This may make for more compelling entertainment, but it does not reflect the facts. The success of the May 1st 2011 operation was a team effort—and a very large team at that.

•Second, the film creates the strong impression that the enhanced interrogation techniques that were part of our former detention and interrogation program were the key to finding Bin Ladin. That impression is false. As we have said before, the truth is that multiple streams of intelligence led CIA analysts to conclude that Bin Ladin was hiding in Abbottabad. Some came from detainees subjected to enhanced techniques, but there were many other sources as well. And, importantly, whether enhanced interrogation techniques were the only timely and effective way to obtain information from those detainees, as the film suggests, is a matter of debate that cannot and never will be definitively resolved.

•Third, the film takes considerable liberties in its depiction of CIA personnel and their actions, including some who died while serving our country. We cannot allow a Hollywood film to cloud our memory of them.
Commentators will have much to say about this film in the weeks ahead. Through it all, I want you to remember that Zero Dark Thirty is not a documentary. What you should also remember is that the Bin Ladin operation was a landmark achievement by our country, by our military, by our Intelligence Community, and by our Agency.

Michael Morell

https://www.cia.gov/news-information...rk-thirty.html



Hollywood portrayal: Actress Jessica Chastain is seen in a scene from new film Zero Dark Thirty which has been most recently criticized by acting CIA director Mike Morell for historical inaccuracies


Not a fan: Acting CIA Director Michael Morell lambasted the film in a public statement to his employees on Friday claiming it doesn't fairly portray what really happened in 2011 or the decade of work beforehand




Hot and cold: The film, one scene pictured, has since been nominated for four Golden Globes despite mutually searing criticism from Washington



Criticisms: Among Mr Morell's complaints of the film, pictured, are its depiction of torture used by U.S. troops to gain information and the mission's credit given to a select number of people


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...al-agency.html

[kellyhound]

also interesting http://truth-out.org/news/item/8866-...official-story

[Brometheus]

anyone else feel the urge to tell him to shut the fuck up?.. we know what a movie is. I wonder what he'll say about the Medal Of Honor Warfighter DLC of the same name..

[myss)(phit]

So.......should we get angry about the inaccuracies about the movie Pocahontas too it's just a movie based on facts, facts that a totally warped but at least people know, right?

[ices]

Um, he has a point.

People actually believe what they see in films, most importantly, a lot of Americans see it as fact.

Remember U571? The Enigma machine film? Why America fuck yeah took the Enigma machine and not the British!



You might think people cannot be that stupid but they are, a large number of them are very stupid indeed.

[daughterofthenight]

it's true. people really believe in the JFK conspiracy now.

[chiefTbon]

some believe 'Titanic' was just a film ...

[Brometheus]

Originally Posted by chiefTbon

some believe 'Titanic' was just a film ...

it seems to me that this guy is nitpicking little things, for example, Titanic.. the scene where the guys go down playing violin.. how the fuck would we know if that was real or not? its just put in there for the movie. You can't expect everything in a "Based on a True Story" movie to be 100% accurate.

[ices]

Originally Posted by Brometheus

it seems to me that this guy is nitpicking little things, for example, Titanic.. the scene where the guys go down playing violin.. how the fuck would we know if that was real or not? its just put in there for the movie. You can't expect everything in a "Based on a True Story" movie to be 100% accurate.

Actually if you had any interest in history of the Titanic, the band playing is well documented.

They had a chance to leave because they were not riff-raff. They played on till the end.

Survivors told of a band playing and over the years it was pieced together that it was true. I believe there is a documentary about it.

[chiefTbon]

Originally Posted by Brometheus

it seems to me that this guy is nitpicking little things, for example, Titanic.. .

i'm not nitpicking about scenery ... i'm saying some kids today 'actually think' it's just a film .. in that it was'nt 'Real' ..