The acclaimed film director of “The Bourne Identity”, “The Bourne Ultimatum”, and “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”, as well as Executive Producer of the hit television series, “Covert Affairs”, Doug Liman, discussed his political thriller, “Fair Game”, which is currently out in movie theaters, and is a MUST SEE for EVERYONE this Holiday Season!
“Fair Game” stars, “the greatest working actor, Sean Penn, as former U.S. Ambassador Joe Wilson, and Naomi Watts, who gives the performance of her career”, accurately states Doug. Naomi Watts plays the role of real-life, former undercover US CIA Operations Officer, Valerie Plame Wilson. ”This was my first time since “Swingers” to have my two first choice actors say ‘yes’”, he added.
When asked if he has a fascination with spy themed projects, Doug replied, “there is something interesting about people who lie for a living”. Valerie Plame Wilson, was a covert officer in the CIA’s counter-proliferation department for eighteen years, and was working in the Mid-East, post 9/11, where she recruited spies, as well as, searched for information on whether there were or were not Weapons of Mass Destruction. This based on a true story, becomes even more intriguing as Valerie is ALSO married to a former Ambassador to Niger, Joe Wilson, who, in 2002, was sent by the State Department to Africa to investigate intelligence reports which suggested that the Iraqi government was actively trying to purchase ’Yellowcake’, enriched uranium, from them. With two small children to raise, Joe, admits to Valerie that he doesn’t appreciate not knowing her whereabouts, and whether she is “lying in a ditch somewhere”. Joe later writes an Op-Ed piece in “The New York Times”, basically stating the fact that there was no sale of “Yellowcake”, and, therefore, the suspicions about an Iraq-Niger uranium deal had no basis, contradicting the President’s claims. It is soon thereafter that Valerie’s CIA cover was exposed by a White House press leak, and her eighteen year career with the CIA was over, and she and her family, along with her overseas contacts, were left vulnerable.
• Question addressed to “Fair Game” Director, Doug Liman: “Do you think Ambassador Joe Wilson had any idea of the ramifications of his actions by writing the Op-Ed Piece titled, “What I Didn’t Find in Africa”, in The New York Times?”
Answer: Doug Liman: “I am sure he was expecting to be attacked himself, but I don’t think he wasn’t expecting that they would go after his wife. That’s the kind of thing evil people do in the movies, and NOT in real life. This was a massive attack on Valerie Plame Wilson, an unprecedented attack on civil liberties by The White House, with the attempt to discredit Joe Wilson, stating that he wasn’t qualified to make an accurate statement about “Yellowcake”. In fact, he was qualified, and he did find out the truth.”
In a “60 Minute” piece with Valerie, when asked about whether she thought if her husband’s article in the NYT would jeopardize her career”, Valerie stated, “it’s called living your cover. He had first hand information, that was in stark contrast to the lie the 16 words that appeared in the President’s State of the Union Address. He wasn’t supposed to say anything?
The four top officials allegedly in connection with the public disclosure in Valerie Plame Wilson’s classified CIA status, were Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage, VP Chief of Staff, Scooter Libby, friend of George W. Bush, Carl Rove, and White House Spokesman, Ari Fleischer. Scooter Libby was charged with one count of Obstruction of Justice, two counts of making false statements, and two counts of perjury in his testimony before the grand jury. His jail time was removed and he was not charged with revealing Valerie’s identity. He was fined and disbarred.
When asked about Scooter Libby, Doug stated, “Scooter Libby threw sand in the eyes of the investigators and made it impossible to continue their investigation. Because of Scooter Libby, we will never know the truth. Scooter Libby is a convicted felon with friends in high places. The President wouldn’t pardon him, just commuted him.”
Article by Sharon Abella