Syriana (2005) - full transcript

Tehran, Iran

Bobby, where have you been?

Whiskey, whiskey.

-You want some whiskey?

-No, champagne.

-Champagne? Yeah.

-Bob.

My brother wants to know...

... have you ever

tried liquid MDMA?

Liquid MDMA? No.

Tehran is the world capital.

-Oh, yeah?

-Oh, yeah.

You've got a... friend there.

How's the kid?

He's fine.

He's...

He's fine.

Arash, when you wanna do this?

After prayer.

Okay.

-You said they were both for you.

-What do you care?

Not a move!

Okay. Okay.

I was looking for the bathroom.

Not a word. Shut up!

Okay.

You don't speak Farsi, do

you, you son of a goat?

Georgetown Washington, DC

Mr. Whiting, I'm

Bennett Holiday.

A very big company,

Connex, our client...

... loses a huge natural-gas

contract in the Persian Gulf...

... to the Chinese.

At the same time...

... a smaller company, Killen, somehow

gets the rights to Kazakhstan...

... one of the largest untapped

oil fields in the world.

The big company, our client,

merges with Killen...

... Justice wants to know how

Killen got those rights.

You've been scrutinizing exactly

these types of deals...

... so if there's

something to find...

... I expect you to get

it before they do.

And come straight to me.

Bennett.

Sir?

At my firm, I have a

flock of sheep...

... who think they're lions.

Maybe you're a lion

everyone thinks is a sheep.

No, I wanna talk about the Gulf,

and how a goddamn emir...

[Connex Oil Houston, Texas]

-What is an emir anyway?

-King, it's a king.

A king. Well, how some Podunk

king tossed you out on your ass.

Every company in the world

wanted into Kazakhstan...

... into the Tengiz,

but Killen got it.

And then Connex wanted

Killen, and here we are.

I made investments.

Investments that'll bear

fruit for this company.

Hell, Tommy, we've all got the

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act...

... committed to memory.

I got a little copy of it taped to

the wall of my head. Right here.

Thanks, Jimmy. We appreciate

hearing your point of view.

However, a U.S. Attorney...

... is looking into your

relationships in Kazakhstan...

... and the U.S. government is holding

off on approval of our merger.

So Mr. Janus and I

have brought...

... Connex's Washington

counsel, Sydney Hewitt...

... down here to talk about our

strategy for the next 30 days.

Sydney?

In a way, I feel

like Switzerland.

I'd like to remind everybody in this room

they've signed confidentiality agreements.

Allow me to introduce my

associate, Bennett Holiday...

... who will be...

How shall I put it?

... building consensus

day-to-day.

Good morning.

You've just visited

what someday soon...

... could be the most profitable

corporation in America.

Provided the government

approves the merger.

Provided we don't start

running automobiles on water.

And provided there's still

chaos in the Middle East.

Now the job is, find the

problem, fix the problem.

And if you do not find a problem,

then there is no problem.

And when the government

approves this merger...

... it's gonna buy a lot

of houses in the Vineyard.

Maybe even yours.

Geneva, Switzerland

Cheerios again?

-Max!

-Max!

-Hey, man.

-Let's not read at the table, okay?

-Put this hand here. Block me.

-Sweetie, sweetie.

-Mommy? I want bacon.

-Yeah?

-You have bacon.

-I want real bacon.

You have real bacon, only

it's made from soy beans.

I want pig bacon.

I want pig bacon too.

-Don't say it.

-I'll try it if you try it.

-I don't know if I can bite this.

-It's crunchy.

-How'd you do that?

-It's kind of hard to cut.

-It's pretty bad.

-You be quiet.

A merger between two U.S. oil

companies is taking place in Houston.

The new company,

Connex-Killen Corporation...

... will become the fifth largest

oil and gas company in the world.

The move affects 37,000

workers in 160 countries...

... and, with revenues

larger than the gross

domestic product of

Pakistan or Denmark...

... will create the world's

23rd largest economy.

Mr. Leland Janus, chairman of

Connex, spoke today of synergy...

... and a desire to pass on

savings to the consumer.

The merged operations will

create economies of scale...

... to deliver the best

quality products to

the consumer at the lowest possible prices.

[LELAND JANUS CEO, CONNEX OIL]

Well, this a merger of necessity

for Connex, Rebecca...

... who wants Killen's

fields in Kazakhstan,

after gas blocks they

pursued in the Gulf...

... were awarded to a

Chinese consortium.

Producer nations continue to look

toward developing markets in Asia...

... which is having a powerful

effect on crude prices.

Our position is that

there's at least 10 to 12

dollars of instability

premium in the market.

You have protests in Iran, the threat

of more strikes in Venezuela...

... and the Turks still making noise about

Russian crude through the Bosphorus.

All right, thanks for

having me, Rebecca.

I'm playing. That's

my job, playing.

Yeah, well, that's a very,

very good job for you to have.

-Tell Daddy you love him.

-I love you, Daddy.

Hey.

The emir's summer party,

Marbella, this weekend.

Any interest?

Well, I can't. I

got, you know...

Guy could be huge for

the company, Bryan.

It's Maxie's birthday this weekend, so...

So we have Saturday...

Hey, Bryan, I just need your help on

this... The emir's party. I'll take that.

Through much finagling, we have

an audience with the emir.

He wrote the strategy,

and he's not slick.

I'll bet you a thousand

he can't sell it.

I didn't say I could go.

Dollars or Swiss francs?

-Dollars.

-Fine.

Come on. Take the children with you. The

beach, summer, Marbella. Max'll love it.

-Can I do that?

-Sure you can.

Besides, they love children.

John D. Rockefeller. Founded

the University of Chicago.

Come on.

That's fine. You're a good song leader, Mr.

Rockefeller.

The Persian Gulf

The Connex/ Al-Salwa facility

is under new ownership...

... and your services

are no longer needed.

What did he say? I can't hear.

He's telling us to scram.

"Scram"?

What do you mean, "scram"?

Your immigration permit through

this company is no longer valid.

You must report to the Department

of Immigration within two weeks...

... or you may be deported.

The Chinese are smart people,

but such bad drivers.

They should not be allowed

even to wash cars.

When I was your age, in Pakistan,

there was always in the distance...

Snow-covered mountains.

Yes, I know, Papa.

That's right.

Three hours away,

but right there...

... across the entire sky...

... like you could reach

out and touch them.

Snow-covered mountains.

As soon as we can...

... we'll get a house and

bring your mother here.

I promise.

Bob's freaking out about

this other missile.

"Where's the missile? Who

has it?" He wrote a memo.

Central Intelligence

Agency Langley, Virginia

I just finished convincing

Brit and French intel...

... we had nothing to

do with the Amiri job.

What do we say to them now?

"Well, something's missing".

He's gotta stop this. He's

gotta stop with the memos.

Okay. Here's something. You

put him up for promotion.

He's due. He's a good man. He

saved our ass in Beirut in '85.

That's great. Terry likes him. We'll

get him an audition downtown.

You get him an

audition downtown.

They're going crazy about Iran now.

Bob's an expert.

Speaks Farsi, for chrissake.

Bob has never had a desk job.

He's never done 9 to 5,

never been on committee.

He's gotta show up to work every day.

He's gotta stay on message.

Absolutely.

I'll prep him.

In fact, we just pulled one

of our officers out and...

... I took the initiative to

ask him to come down here.

He infiltrated Hezbollah in Beirut in

the '80s, won himself some nice medals.

We're thinking about

giving him a station.

Beirut in the '80s, is

that a résumé-builder?

Don't chomp down on any bait.

We're fine.

Iran is fine.

Fine.

And our analysis seems to be on the mark.

We're getting good satellite coverage.

We're reprogramming

resources into Iran...

Thank you for coming over Mr. Barnes.

Welcome back and forgive me if I wade in...

... but forgetting for a second

your bureaucratic checklist...

... I'm trying to get

undigested information.

-Well, to the best of our ability...

-India is now our ally. Russia is our ally.

Even China will be an ally.

Everybody between Morocco and

Pakistan is the problem.

Failed states and failed economies, but

Iran is a natural cultural ally of the U.S.

Persians do not want to roll back

the clock to the eighth century.

I see students marching in the streets.

I hear Khatami making the right sounds.

And what I'd like to know is, if we

keep embargoing them on energy...

... then someday soon, are we

gonna have a nice, secular...

... pro-Western,

pro-business government?

It's possible. It's complicated.

Of course it is Mr. Barnes.

Thank you for your time.

They let young people march in the street.

Next day, they shut down 50 newspapers.

Put a few satellite dishes up on the

roofs, let them have My Two Dads.

That doesn't mean

the ayatollahs...

... are surrendering one iota

of control over that nation.

Mr. Barnes, the reform

movement in Iran...

... is one of the president's

great hopes for the region...

... and crucial to the petroleum

security of the United States.

These gentlemen

are with the CLI.

The Committee for the

Liberation of Iran, Mr. Barnes.

Princeton, New Jersey

Maybe you'll get made

ambassador to somewhere cool.

Like France or Italy or Ghana.

It's not beyond the realm

of possibility, is it?

How's your mom?

Great. She's great.

So I know it's still

a year away...

... but I'll have to have

a car, a decent car.

Nothing too fancy, but it has to run so

that I can get into Boston and New York.

They have a great crew.

That's what they told me.

I said, "Crew of what?"

And they said, "Rowing".

-So if I wanna row, it'd be kind of fun.

-Thank you.

Robby, listen.

I live in Maryland...

... which means that you

have residency in Maryland.

For the University of Maryland.

I'm sorry, can I steal this from you?

Thank you so much.

I just want a normal

senior year, Dad.

I want a normal house.

I want Cinemax and prom.

You know what prom is like in Pakistan?

Prom sucks in Pakistan.

It's complicated, you know.

I may have really

screwed up at work.

How?

I was supposed to keep my

mouth shut and I didn't.

What does Mom do, again, that

we have to live in Islamabad?

-She's a secretary.

-Secretary.

Robby.

Both of my parents are

professional liars.

Hey.

Did you guys just get a party?

I do too.

This is a party not for you.

Marbella, Spain

It is my pleasure to personally

welcome each of you...

All right, guys.

... to the Casa de las Palmas...

... our oasis of palms

in the south of Spain.

-Does somebody live here?

-Yeah, in the summertime.

I hope everyone is having

a wonderful day...

... and taking time from your hectic lives

to relax with friends and family...

... whether it is enjoying the

flowers in our bountiful gardens...

... or sampling the

myriad delicacies...

... prepared by chefs

from our prosperous home.

Please eat and socialize...

... and enjoy your time with us.

I am happy to welcome the

Chinese to my country.

My father welcomes the

Chinese to our country.

Of course.

Please.

Right there.

Thank you.

Arabs are very

family-oriented, as a people.

Is that racist?

Sure.

-It is?

-A little.

Well, no. I mean, I guess if

what you're saying is positive.

You have to go in.

Don't.

Let him work it out on his own.

It's important for his autonomy.

All right!

An announcement.

If man is made in God's image...

... then God is

deeply messed up.

You afraid?

Afraid of the buzz?

I'm afraid of your breath.

Hakim hasn't had any.

And he wears jewelry.

He thinks that little

bracelet's gonna get him girls.

Hakim!

Hakim! Hakim! Hakim!

I want to talk to your

uncle about work.

There isn't any work.

Farooq!

You said you'd introduce me.

Don't be such a pest.

Hakim! Hakim!

Are you here to see the emir?

Yeah.

Me too.

What do you do?

I'm a partner in a derivatives-trading

company in Geneva.

-Energy?

-Yeah.

Right.

-Bryan Woodman?

-Yes.

-Good evening.

-Hi.

Hi, Bryan Woodman.

We regret that His Highness

will be unable to see you.

However, we are authorized to hear

your proposition on his behalf.

Oh, okay.

What, here? Now?

Okay. Well...

Okay. Our position is that the

real worry for you guys...

... is another year

of record pricing.

There are no more elephant fields,

not even in natural gas...

... and as structural alternatives

become more fully realized...

... you'll need new strategies to maximize

every penny of your existing resources...

... particularly in a

climate of falling prices.

And that's what, you know, our firm is

prepared to help problem-solve with you...

... the, you know,

foreseeable...

... and unforeseeable

problems you encounter.

This house is a Genius-Home.

One of my sons had it wired by

experts from the United States.

Watch.

Your Highness, that

is incredible.

Prince Nasir, isn't

that amazing?

Fascinating.

The Chinese take the

trouble to learn Arabic.

Look, it's getting dark.

Better turn on the pool lights.

Send a fool on a fool's errand.

Moussa, come fix

this remote control!

Are you not talking?

Come on, sweetheart.

Just a little bit, okay?

You're the shark, and you try

to tag us as we swim across.

All right? You jump in,

count "one, two, three" ...

... then we all try to

get to the other side.

-All right? Okay.

-Okay. Come on.

Come on, go. Go.

Yeah. Okay.

-Come on, jump in.

-Come on.

-Come on. Jump in!

-Sissy!

Just jump, come on!

Max?

-Max!

-Oh, my God!

Cut the power! Cut the power!

Max! Max!

-Let go!

-Somebody cut the power!

-Max!

-Come on. Come on.

-That's my son!

-Oh, my God.

-Get out of my way!

-Okay.

-Oh, my God!

-Take him!

Take him! Take him out. Take him this way.

Take him out.

Put him down. Down, down.

-Sweetie?

-Someone get a doctor, doctor, doctor!

He's not fucking breathing.

He's not breathing.

-Get a doctor!

-Is anybody a doctor?

Do something! Help us!

I hear phrases

thrown around like

"the corrupting influence of money"...

[Washington, DC]

... or "the evil influence

of dollars in politics "...

... when more money was spent

on the syndication rights...

... to the Seinfeld

television program...

... than on the whole of the

last presidential election.

Last election cycle,

I spent $300,000.

I have pictures of myself with the

president that I use all over the world.

I didn't make this

coffee for you.

People don't know Danny Dalton, but they

know the president of the United States...

... and they see that I know the

president of the United States.

-In a free society...

-Making it for me.

... the one written into law...

You...

-... it's the people, individually...

-... I'm making oatmeal.

-... and organized into committees...

-Then you sleep.

... not the U.S. government,

who decide the issues...

You look like shit.

... of a political campaign.

In our country, we don't...

... stuff dollars

into ballot boxes.

-What we do...

-You working?

-... is turn money into votes.

-I had trouble at work.

The ability of a candidate...

There's beer in my fridge,

for when you wake up,

so you don't die on

my floor of the DT's.

Please don't smoke in my house.

... meaning, not so loosely

translated, that money is speech.

And, last time I heard, speech in the

United States of America is protected.

You can't limit my advocacy

just because it works.

I have a sovereign, inalienable

right to petition my government.

And why is it some

dirty little secret...

... that it's in America's

interest to do business overseas?

Two of my wife's kids were

deported from this country.

You know why? Because

they didn't have work.

You don't have to pay me.

Give me something to do.

Then decide.

I'm sorry. I already have a

long list for that job too.

And if you want to work

in this country...

... learn the language.

Learn Arabic!

Foreign workers' compound

The Persian Gulf

Why are they running?

Maybe the small one...

... committed a

crime or something.

They gave us french fries

at the Islamic school.

Close the door, Papa.

His sister has a thing for you.

His sister has a big ass.

Of course, at the Islamic school you

don't have to worry about that.

And lamb. We got

skewers of lamb.

I like lamb.

Have your identification card ready.

No talking in line.

Have your identification card ready.

No talking in line.

I can't remember it this hot.

Old man, you don't

want to talk here.

Stop talking.

Tough guy. What's your name?

What's your name?!

Johnny.

Mommy!

Mommy!

-Hey, hey, hey.

-Mommy.

Come here, bear. Come here.

You okay?

I wanna look out the window.

You wanna look out the window?

Come on.

I spy a bird.

Well, if on Monday, Iran

refuses the IAEA inspectors...

... you can look to crude

prices to spike yet again.

Right. Well, it's not exactly a secret

that Iran will refuse snap inspections.

Okay, Rebecca. Thank you.

Go home.

It was a stupid fucking

question, Henry.

The prince's man called again.

I'm just telling him.

U.S. Department of

Justice Washington, DC

Hey, how bad is it?

When a Volvo dealer says that...

Okay. You're honorable,

decent guys.

Right.

My wife and our

narrow driveway...

-How the hell are you?

-Well, you know, can't complain.

That's not good, kiddo.

That's suffering quietly.

Married? Kids?

There is no way a

company like Killen...

... pulled off a deal like this

without paying somebody off.

Why don't you tell me what

you have so I can respond.

I used to think there was

something wrong here.

Now I know there's

something wrong here.

Either you don't find anything,

because you don't know how to look...

... or you do and they carve

you out and light you on fire.

That's gotta be the

play here, right?

Bennett Holiday.

Sydney Hewitt's new boy.

How many of those have I seen?

Six? Seven?

They're all gone.

He's still

Sydney-fucking-Hewitt.

Fourteen-11.

Match point.

I think they've got

someone inside the deal.

Someone they can squeeze.

You mean like an informant?

Yes, sir, like an informant. Just my

opinion, based on their overconfidence.

Match point.

Thank you.

You know, if people

in oil deals...

... talked to U.S. Attorneys,

there'd be no oil business. Dean.

Bennett Holiday, you know Dean

Whiting, founding partner of our firm.

-Of course, good to see you, sir.

-How are you?

We've been discussing the

Connex-Killen merger situation.

Will they get approval? Hell

of a large company if they do.

I mean, client.

Well, the Tengiz field,

Killen's largest asset...

... is being looked into pretty heavily

by the U.S. Attorney's office.

Well, Bennett, as they

say in the Bible:

"There are many, many

ways to light Europe".

Yeah, well, there's an arrow on the

ceiling pointing towards Mecca.

The Binladin Group

air-conditioned Mecca.

It was a huge project. They

made billions and billions.

All the women are dressed in

black from head to toe...

... walking 5 feet

behind the men.

It's 125.

Literally, 125 and humid.

When I walked out of the airport,

it was like a wall fell on me.

The men are all

wearing white sheets.

And they're spotless white sheets.

I don't really understand that.

They kind of say:

"It's hot and I don't

have to work. "

I don't really understand how

you could do anything in that.

I mean, I'd like to see

these guys play baseball.

Are you okay?

You sound strange.

No, I'm fine.

They will try to disguise

the difference...

... to make Muslims who

speak about religion...

... appear to be fanatics

or backward people.

They will tell us the dispute

is over economic resources...

... or military domination.

If we believe that, we play

right into their hands...

... with only

ourselves to blame.

It is not possible...

... to bridge the divide

between human nature...

... and modern life

through free trade.

Impossible.

The divine and the worldly

are but a single concept.

The Koran.

No separation of

religion and state.

The Koran.

Instead of kings legislating

and slaves obeying...

... the Koran.

The pain of modern life

cannot be cured by...

... deregulation...

... privatization...

... economic reform...

... or lower taxes.

The pain of living in

the modern world...

... will never be solved

by a liberal society.

Liberal societies have failed.

Christian theology has failed.

The West has failed.

This was a birthday present

and a graduation present...

... a couple years ago.

[Cap d'Antibes, France]

What happened was, I was about

to graduate from Oxford...

... and my mother had a horse

in the Royal Ascot race, right?

The horse won...

... that same day that I was graduating,

right? And my trust fund matured.

So that tops any birthday present that

any of you have bought for me tonight.

Capitalism cannot

exist without waste.

We should write thank-you notes to Mr.

Whiting and the U.S.A...

... for producing one-quarter

of the world's garbage...

... and one-quarter

of the demand.

You're certainly welcome.

Our pleasure, really.

Prince...

... is there anything

that we can do for you?

Americans are always happy to drill

holes in other people's countries.

I've heard of you, Mr. Whiting. The

cat's-paw of the Saudi princes.

I know your brother, the foreign minister.

He's very bright.

I know your father too.

He threw the second creepiest party

I've ever been to in Washington.

And as far as I can see...

... you could probably use a

bit of the cat's-paw yourself.

Second-born son, so beaten

down by his family...

... he can't even tell me what he

wants when he's asked straight-out.

A grown-up baby who's

afraid of his brother...

... and maybe wants to be king?

Maybe?

Well, prince...

... are you a king?

Can you tell me what you want?

All right, what's next?

The lethal finding on

Nasir came through.

That was quick. You

have a timetable?

He'll be in Beirut next week.

We could do it there.

That's good. Anybody around?

Actually, yes. I made

contact with Mussawi.

He'd be happy to work

with whoever we send.

I was thinking it would

be good for Bob.

All right, I'll let you have him

without going through Terry...

... but everything

better go exactly right.

And tell him, "Easy

on the memos".

This is the prototype of

an oil-rich Arab monarchy.

Since prevailing in the tribal

conflicts of the 1920s...

... the Al-Subaai family have ruled

their kingdom effectively...

... and, by most

accounts, benignly.

However, they face enormous

challenges in the future.

The fact of the matter is that at

current levels of production...

-Welcome, Bob.

-Hi.

Good news. I think we've got something

for you, something you'll like...

... that utilizes your

specific skill set.

You know this guy?

-Prince Nasir Al-Subaai.

-His money's in a lot of dark corners...

... paying for weapons that could

be used against the U.S.A.

Paperwork on polygraphs.

Wire transfers to Qaeda fronts.

Letters instructing his water ministry

to employ Mohammed Sheik Agiza...

... the guy who

has your missile.

He's traveling to Beirut. You have

experience in Beirut, don't you Bob?

It's a great city.

This is a bad guy.

And, who knows, maybe you'll

find your blue-eyed Egyptian.

-I sent you a report on...

-Sorry, I gotta get going a little early.

My daughter's got a soccer game.

Big one.

Did you see my report on the missile?

'Cause I reset the guidance

-to blow 10 feet off...

-Bob, you just don't get it.

Nobody wants to hear about a

missing missile, not right now.

This is top of the

director's list.

Hit a walk-off home run...

... you get any desk you want.

Sheik Hamad has not yet made a

decision about who will succeed him.

In our view, Prince Nasir...

... is likely the more

ambitious of the two brothers.

This, however, does not mean...

... that he will prevail in

any succession struggle.

Your generosity is bigger than a mountain

that shades us from the burning sun.

My house has grown too

small for my family.

If we had more land...

... then my son could

build his own house.

My father has ordered the

Marbella estate to be razed.

There'll be a park.

We're so sorry for your loss.

Six more North Field blocks

are being developed.

We'd like to offer

your firm the rights.

Six blocks?

-Which phase?

-Third phase.

Okay, so we'd be in

the stream for...

... 10 one-hundredths of a cent.

So $75 million.

Seventy... Great. That's great.

How much for my other kid?

You know, if I were your economic

adviser, I'd tell you that that's...

... not the stupidest thing, financially

speaking, that you've ever done...

... but probably just the dumbest

thing you'll do today. Probably.

But why would you need

an economic adviser?

Twenty years ago, you had the

highest GNP in the world.

Today, you're tied with Albania.

So good work.

Your second biggest export

is secondhand goods...

... followed closely by dates, for

which you lose 5 cents a pound.

You know what the business

world thinks of you?

We think 100 years ago, you

were living out here in tents

in the desert, chopping

each other's heads off...

... and that's exactly where

you gonna be in another 100.

So, yes, on behalf of my firm, I

accept your money. Thank you.

Fine. I'll have the funds transferred

to your firm immediately.

Great.

And I'll give you 100

million for the other kid.

So now you're my

economic adviser...

... why don't you tell me

something I don't already know.

All right. You want an idea?

Here's an idea.

There's the Eurasian triangle.

Your kingdom is here. Iran is there. Now

for years, you've been selling your oil...

... sticking it on ships and watching as

it sails away around Africa to there.

Okay. Now pretend for a second that this

is excess Iranian pipeline capacity.

That's your route. Right there.

Overland, through Iran.

You hook up with these pipes here. You

commoditize it, you control it...

... you take it right to the

doorstep of every home in Europe.

I just doubled your profit. I

think that's a pretty good idea.

777 Ranch Hondo, Texas

My granddaddy was a wildcatter.

Same with my daddy.

That's how I got my start.

Luck and hard work.

Nobody handed me shit.

Now I got...

... libraries and

parks named after me.

And I'll probably

ruin my grandkids.

You wearing a wire, Bennett?

No.

Mr. Janus...

... chairman of Connex and...

... Dean Whiting, founding

partner of your firm...

... are proud members of the

Committee to Liberate Iran.

Danny D. here is too.

D is for "Dalton".

I was on the other side

of the Tengiz deal.

"The other side"?

El Presidente Nazarbayev's

best pal in the whole world.

She's a beautiful

field, the Tengiz.

Goddamn, is she a

beautiful field.

What is it? "Irish...".

Rockville, Maryland

"The Irish pray on their knees, the

Scots prey on their neighbors".

How's Margaret?

You guys divorced yet?

-We're not getting divorced.

-I don't think, in our line of work...

... there's two people with your security

clearances who have made a marriage work.

I'm telling you,

Bobby, my boy...

... number three.

That's the charm.

-That's the number, huh?

-Yeah.

I like consulting.

No, I love it.

Love it. And I'll

say this for it:

Private business is efficient.

There, I've said it.

Fucking cliché.

And the CIA is, like, what, a

30-billion-a-year business...

... so anybody who wants to sell

anything, a pencil, a computer...

... they gotta interface through a

security clearance. Don't give me shit.

I got two kids in college,

and we're doing our kitchen.

Stan, I got a chance

to go back to Beirut.

I wanna go back.

Is it safe for me?

Are we talking about with

your wife or with the wackos?

Clear it with Hezbollah.

Hezbollah-controlled

suburb Beirut, Lebanon

Said Hashimi. Said Hashimi.

Said Hashimi.

I'm Canadian. It's okay.

Canadian.

Said Hashimi.

It's okay. It's okay. It's okay.

It's okay.

I have a good feeling about

American people, Bob.

A good people.

There are 10 million

Muslims in the U.S.

Thank you for this audience.

I have a business proposal for

Mussawi, one that benefits everyone.

Mussawi is an

energetic young man.

Your Arabic is very good.

I thought it would be prudent to say

that I have no interest in Hezbollah.

This is business and it

doesn't concern Hezbollah.

If what you say is true...

... consider yourself

welcome in Lebanon.

They can lift 10 times their weight,

and jump 20 times their height.

But I still don't understand...

The spider is a symbol

of the sin of man.

He bites the finger

of Peter Parker...

... who is now half

dark and half light.

A real spider captures,

stings and immobilizes...

... then watches as the

prey takes days to die.

They'd never show that.

Are we in trouble?

Peace be upon you, boys.

No, it's not a problem.

Look around you...

... at your brothers united by faith

in God and submission to his law.

We're all brothers.

We're one family.

Wasim is still a virgin.

That is good.

Fornication is a serious crime.

I'm a virgin too.

That is good as well.

"Abstain from sex

out of wedlock."

"It is an attack on honor..."

"... and shows contempt

for sanctity."

God has spoken the truth.

Let us pray together.

Rumors of Bob, but never Bob.

It is "Bob", right?

What is it you tell people

you do these days, Bob?

Between State

Department and Defense.

It's just me, buddy.

As requested.

I'm gonna get some

information out, Jimmy.

-My name is Mussawi.

-Okay, Jimmy.

He's traveling in Beirut.

It's dangerous to travel.

He'll disappear.

I wnt you to take him from his hotel, drug

him, put him in the front of a car...

... and run a truck into

him at 50 miles an hour.

It's good to have you

back in town, Bob.

We begin the process

of empowering

-a new generation of Arabs...

-Hey.

Beirut.

No, no. He... He invited

me to come with him.

I think he thinks he's some

kind of reformer or something.

Anyway, he's got a

nice private plane.

Hold on, Vincent.

Hey.

Beirut? It's great.

It's like the...

It's like the Paris

of the Middle East.

Yeah, it's like... It's

like winning the NIT.

...however, unlike Washington's

Greater Middle East Initiative...

It's a bad... Just never

mind, never mind.

... we respect each country's

right to move at its own pace.

Make room.

American?

Canadian.

Don't see many

Occidentals these days.

It's too bad.

Go, go, go.

-This is November, '94.

-Yeah. Excellent, excellent.

-Did you find the others?

-I couldn't. Joe's looking for it.

-He'll bring it out when he does.

-Where is he?

He's back there looking for 'em. He said

he'll bring them out when he finds 'em.

Okay. Thank you, Susan.

Hello?

Yeah.

Who's this?

Yeah. Okay.

How you doing, sir?

Somebody called me.

If you find me, call my son

Bennett junior at this number.

Bob.

What do you know about

torture methods...

... used by the Chinese

on the Falun Gong?

Method number one.

What's your guess?

Water dungeon.

Did you guess water dungeon?

Number two method?

Number two, twisting arm

and putting face in feces.

Not interested in two.

Number three.

Number three is called...

... "pulling nails

from fingers".

What do you think, Bob?

Number three sound good to you?

The purpose is to get the

monks or whatever...

... to recant their beliefs.

What if I had to

get you to recant?

That'd be pretty

difficult, right?

Because...

... if you have no beliefs

to recant, then what?

Well, then, you're

fucked is what.

Bob.

You're gonna give

me the names...

... of every person that's

taken money from you.

Oh, that is disgusting.

Come on, Jimmy, you're not one

of those a Koran-thumper.

My name is Mussawi.

You fucking fuck, fucking

fuck, stupid fuck!

What the fuck? This is a war.

Fuck! You're a PO-fucking-W!

Give me the fucking names!

Fuck it.

I'm cutting his

fucking head off.

I'm gonna cut your

head off, Bob.

Said Hashimi is very

angry with you, Mussawi.

Said Hashimi keeps his word.

You're a guest of

Hezbollah too, Mussawi.

I'm going to show you

something really cool.

American-made. Good quality...

... but nearly impossible

to hit anything.

By shaping the charge...

... this will send a blast

of molten copper...

... through 30 inches of steel.

Careful!

It's very dangerous.

Jane.

We've just received a dispatch

from Damascus, eight minutes old.

Mussawi's shopping a story

that we sent Bob to Beirut...

... to assassinate Prince Nasir.

We better go talk to Terry.

Can we get this guy? I

mean now, real-time now.

-Mussawi?

-I'll call you back.

The practical answer is no. Not

before he goes into another mosque...

... or a newspaper and the

story gains traction. No.

-He have Bob's name?

-Not his real name.

But Mussawi's been shopping photos

of them doing the deal, long lens.

Photos of Bob being held. I mean,

we're lucky this guy is alive.

The whole contact was a setup. Mussawi

now apparently works with Iran.

First he tortures our guy, then

he peddles the CIA connection.

Put some space

between us and Bob.

Bob has a long history of

entrepreneurial operations.

We haven't really had a

handle on Bob for years.

After 9/11, some people

got a little leeway,

let their emotions get

the best of them.

These are complex times.

There's already an active

investigation into

Bob's activities in...

Help me out here.

Tehran, the Amiri brothers job.

We're trying to find out who might have

hired Bob for the Amiri brothers' job.

Could the same people be

behind the Nasir job?

A lot of people probably

want this Nasir dead and...

... Bob knows lots of people.

Fill in the rest.

Send me everything.

Walter Reed Hospital

Washington, DC

You first established contact

with the Amiri brothers in 1998?

Yeah.

-You met them at a party in France?

-Yes.

A party given by Reza Reyhani?

Reza, yes.

Were you aware they were

in illegal arms trade?

Of course I was aware.

That's why I went.

Were you aware these two men were

Iranian intelligence officers?

-What do you think?

-This is a diplomatic incident.

Two men have been murdered.

We've been tasked with

the damage assessment.

We'll need you to turn

your passport over to us.

Passports.

Hey.

Hey, I found this.

Wire transfer.

In Russian. I don't

speak Russian.

Get it translated.

Do you speak Russian?

-These are dead.

-Oh, thanks.

What are these?

Orphans. You know, things

that don't make any sense.

That one's pretty interesting.

The Lily School. It's a

boarding school in Switzerland.

Paid for by wire transfer.

The meeting's already started.

You're not on the list.

This is not an open function.

You're not wearing a badge.

You don't have a wristband.

This is a private gathering.

Take this to Sydney Hewitt.

They are pushing for the

segregation of universities.

Please.

And the banning of the wearing

of colorful clothing.

But two-thirds of Iran's

population is under 30.

How you doing?

More than 60 percent of

university students are women.

And those restrictions are

like a small pebble...

... in front of a massive

tidal wave of reform.

Iranian resources

are abundant...

... and given the chance,

there is no limit...

... to what the Iranian

people can achieve.

Their hopes are the same as

all people in every land...

... to live lives of dignity

in a nation at peace.

And America will help them.

Killen Oil, through Daniel Dalton

and Petroika Energy Consultants...

... created assetless

shell companies...

... owned by the heirs

of Nurzan Detayev...

... Minister of the Domestic Resources

of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

This was discussed at the Upstream

Division meeting held in January,

-2003 in Sun Valley, Idaho.

-I was at the meeting, but I don't focus on

those kind of details.

Wherein it was described that

Killen bore all financial risk...

... but Minister Detayev's children, while

attending The Lily School in Switzerland...

... were entitled to all of the profits.

Seventy million dollars.

I attended the meeting, but as I said, I

don't focus on those kind of details.

Further, Daniel Dalton Jr. and Petroika

Energy Consultants colluded...

A firm retained by Killen prior

to Connex's involvement.

Oh, for chrissake, Tommy. We both

got letters from the grand jury.

It's not your own private

little pity party.

A good faith purchaser

is in good faith...

... only if they didn't know of the

problems at the time of the purchase.

This is the oil business

we're talking about, right?

Lowliest little

shareholder knows we deal

with some of the most

stank places on earth.

And it is illegal to

offer gifts, money...

... the promise of money or anything of

value to influence foreign officials.

Is it?

I have personally seen a

bill from your law firm...

... to the government of Saudi

Arabia for $36 million.

A one-line bill for

"services rendered".

The business of Whiting Sloan is

not under discussion at this time.

Well, it ought to be.

Danny's a good man.

And he's a friend of mine.

A Mareva injunction?

Some people, cousins of mine, actually,

sued my father in the Commonwealth...

[Geneva, Switzerland]

... alleging that he broke an agreement...

to repay funds transferred

from the state.

It calls them "aggrieved royals".

Aggrieved about what?

That he tried to cut their allowances

from 100,000 a month to 80?

I want to see my father.

I'm sorry, Your Highness.

Your father is not feeling well.

My cousins aren't bright enough to

be anything but finger puppets...

... and my brother has faith

only in his own cunning.

What do you suppose they're up to, my

brother and these American lawyers?

Tell me...

... what are they thinking?

What are they thinking?

What are they thinking?

They're thinking that

it's running out.

It's running out.

And 90 percent of what's

left is in the Middle East.

Look at the progression.

Versailles, Suez, 1973,

Gulf War One, Gulf War Two.

This is a fight to the death.

So, what are they thinking?

"Great".

They're thinking, "Keep playing,

keep buying yourself new toys."

"Keep spending $50,000 a

night on your hotel room."

"But don't invest in

your infrastructure."

"Don't build a real economy."

So that when you finally wake up,

they will have sucked you dry...

... and you will have squandered the

greatest natural resource in history.

Come with me, please.

I studied at Oxford. I have a Ph.D.

from Georgetown.

I want to create a parliament.

I want to give women

the right to vote.

I want an independent judiciary.

I want to start a petroleum

exchange in the Middle East...

... cut the speculators

out of the business.

Why are the major oil exchanges

in London and New York anyway?

I'll put all of our energy

up for competitive bidding.

I'll run pipe through Iran to

Europe, like you proposed.

I'll ship to China.

Anything that achieves

efficiency and maximizes profit.

Profit which I will then

use to rebuild my country.

-Great, that's exactly what you should do.

-Exactly.

Except your president

rings my father and says:

"I've got unemployment in Texas,

Kansas, Washington state".

A phone call later, we're stealing

out of our social programs...

... in order to buy

overpriced airplanes.

We owed the Americans, but

we've repaid that debt.

I accepted a Chinese

bid, the highest bid...

... and suddenly I'm a terrorist.

I'm a godless communist.

Dean Whiting...

... who represents not only these

aggrieved royals and my brother...

... but also Connex Oil...

... they've been pressuring my father

to invalidate the Chinese contract.

But they underestimate him.

This is about his

legacy to his people.

I know it seems like people

sitting in hotel rooms.

I mean, it's what they do,

That's how they do business.

But we're... We're talking

world historical stage here.

I mean, with the... With the delivery

deals we could make in Europe...

... transport through Iran.

This guy might be able to revolutionize not

just his country, but the whole region.

As soon as his father keels over, this

guy could be like Mossadegh in '52...

... in Iran. The real democracy

rising up organically.

I mean that if we can be a part

of any of these countries...

... getting a parliament, I mean, helping

them find efficiency, showing...

-You know, showing them how...

-Stop it. Stop it.

Julie, the little company

that I started working for...

... is now chief economic

adviser to Prince Nasir.

Do you understand

what that means?

It's like...

... somebody put a giant

ATM on our front lawn.

Here's a question:

How do you think it looks to profit

off the death of your 6-year-old?

Fuck you.

Fuck you.

I changed the diapers.

I put cream on rashes.

I took him to his checkups.

I cared about every

fucking percentile.

I did everything right.

I did everything right.

We're going back to the States.

Good.

Riley?

Sweetie, sweetie, be careful.

We're gonna go now, okay?

You wanna say goodbye

to your dad?

You can see him later, okay?

When I die I want the people who inherit

my possessions to do the following.

One...

... the people who prepare my

body should be good Muslims...

... so this will remind me

of God and his forgiveness.

Two...

... I don't want anyone to rip their

clothes or slap their faces...

... because this is an

ignorant thing to do.

Three...

... I don't want a pregnant woman

to come and say goodbye to me...

... because I don't approve it.

Four...

Some trust-fund prosecutor

got off message at Yale...

... thinks he's gonna run

this up the flagpole?

Make a name for himself?

Maybe get elected some two-bit

congressman from nowhere...

... with the result

that China or Russia...

... can suddenly start

having, at our expense...

... all the advantages

we enjoy here?

No, I tell you. No, sir.

Corruption charges. Corruption?

Corruption is

government intrusion...

... into market efficiencies

in the form of regulation.

That's Milton Friedman. He

got a goddamn Nobel Prize.

We have laws against it precisely

so we can get away with it.

Corruption is our protection.

Corruption keeps

us safe and warm!

Corruption is why you and I are

prancing around in here...

... instead of fighting over

scraps of meat out in the street.

Corruption is why we win.

How'd it go?

Well, he's got kids, a wife.

He broke the law.

Mr. Janus himself wanted me to

extend you an invitation...

... to Oilman of the Year.

He's being honored...

... so it should

be a nice weekend.

Relax. Catch yourself a massage.

Congratulations.

-Is Jane in?

-She's in a meeting.

How about Fred?

He's in a meeting.

Bennett, hey.

Come on, take a ride with me.

Do I have a choice, Don?

Of course you do. This

is just a courtesy call.

Bennett, I know you know about the crime-fraud

exception to attorney-client privilege.

I do, Don. Very well.

Then you also know your client

is into some shady stuff...

... and it's starting to look

like you could be involved...

... in hiding the true

nature of the transactions.

That's quite a statement, Don.

One word:

Dalton.

Danny Dalton?

Defrauded the government of Kazakhstan

of funds to which it was entitled.

Defrauded the people of Kazakhstan of

the right to the honest services...

... of their elected and

appointed officials.

Seven years. Does three,

maybe two and a half...

-... on your recommendation.

-Now, let me guess.

This was a solo act, without the

knowledge of Connex or Killen Oil...

... and Mr. Lee Janus

or Jimmy Pope.

Dalton's a bit of a

rogue, it's true.

And he'll have a nice little

trust fund when he gets out.

Not so little, I imagine.

Look, Don, we can spend the

next five years in court...

... to get back to the very

place that we're at right now.

And they will fight tough.

They'll fight dirty.

They'll pressure your boss...

... they'll pressure the people

who appointed your boss...

... they'll pressure the wives of

the people who appointed your boss.

And you will never hit them any

harder than this, and you know it.

I'm sorry, Bennett.

I don't think Dalton's enough.

What are you looking at, man?

-I didn't say anything.

-That's because you have nothing to say.

You fucking asshole.

There we go.

Okay, pal.

Come on. Yeah, I know. I

know, I know, I know.

-Hey, Fred!

-You've been such a good boy.

Fred.

Hey, Bob.

There you go, pal. I tell you

what, Katie, take that in.

Hey, Jack. Your sister.

You first.

Take the kids inside.

I'll be right in, okay?

What's going on, Fred?

It's okay. Be in in a sec.

FBI's got it, Bob.

That's pretty clear.

Nothing I can do, you know it.

It's a criminal investigation.

-Two men were killed.

-I was almost killed.

Now they're asking me questions

about the Amiri brothers,

asking me questions

about Tehran.

You gotta understand, this wrecks careers.

I shouldn't even be talking to you.

I punched in "Prince Nasir Al-Subaai",

and my computer gets seized.

Where'd that job come from? Where

did the Nasir job come from?

I'm advising you to drop it.

Why am I being investigated?

Why am I being

investigated, Fred?

Goodbye, Bob.

It's okay. Hey, hey.

What's up?

If I truly lack faith...

... then I am not

the right person.

The questioning means

that you have faith...

... and makes it stronger.

That's a lot of shit, I think.

We'll be able to intervene in

the affairs of family members.

We'll be able to help them

with whatever they need.

You'll be able to get

your mother here.

Please.

I am tired.

Father...

... who will be emir?

Your brother.

Praise be to God.

I would ask you to remain

as foreign minister.

You cannot do this.

He is barely qualified to run a

brothel, much less a country.

I like Europe.

I will be happy to stay here.

My decision is final...

... and I ask you to

support your brother.

I cannot do that.

For centuries Arabs have been ruled

by people with no respect for law...

... monopolies handed out for

the things that people want...

... commerce stifled, young

people unable to find jobs.

Anyone who criticizes

is thrown in jail...

... or put to death.

And women...

... are treated as

second-class citizens.

The coronation is tomorrow, and your

brother has the support of the Americans.

And 10,000 of their troops are

stationed in our country.

True.

My father is ill and weak, and

unwilling to oppose the Americans.

But others are willing.

When a country has 5 percent

of the world's population...

... but does 50 percent of

its military spending...

... then the persuasive powers of

that country are on the decline.

They're worried.

About fallout.

They're worried...

... you might wanna

talk about it.

But if you're already

under investigation...

What about Mussawi?

He's a soldier.

He's just like you.

Why are they doing a damage assessment on

the Amiris and on me for doing my job?

This is about our

interests in the region.

So if Prince Nasir won't allow our

military bases in his country...

... and his little

brother will...

... well, we'll probably have

to do something about that.

Who's worried about

the Nasir job?

Who's worried about me talking?

Stan.

Who's worried?

Hello?

Hello, is this Mr. Whitting?

This is Homeseal Security.

Yes, this is Mr. Whiting.

Hi, we're showing a motion-sensor

failure in your downstairs study.

Yes?

Like I said, we're getting

a failure message.

Want me to stay on the phone while

you walk around, or send a car?

I'll walk around.

Everything seems fine.

How are we doing, Mr. Whiting?

Everything's fine.

-The door's unlocked.

-Did you leave it unlocked?

Send a car, you imbecile.

You were in Beirut in '84.

I lost friends there...

... as I'm sure you did.

I got a peek at your file.

You're a good man.

One whose experience

is narrow and deep.

Your entire career...

... you've been used.

And probably never

even known what for.

I didn't use to need to know.

In this town, you're innocent

until you're investigated.

Innocent until investigated? That's nice.

It's got a nice ring to it.

I bet you've worn some miles

on little sayings like that.

Thank you.

-Thank you.

-No.

Gives the listener the sense of the

law being written as it's spoken.

If anything happens

to me or my family...

... an accident, an

accusation, anything...

... then, first, your

son will disappear.

His body will never be found.

Then your wife.

Her body will never be found either.

Now, this is guaranteed.

Then whatever is the most dangerous

thing that you do in your life...

... it might be flying

in a small plane...

... might be walking

to the bank...

... you'll be killed.

Do you understand

what I'm saying?

I want you to acknowledge

that you do understand...

... so that we're clear and

there won't be any mistakes.

Beirut rules, Mr. Barnes?

I want my passports back.

We are a small group...

... the ones who carry

convictions and ambitions.

And within this group...

... there is another,

smaller group...

... who flee from

the worldly life...

... in order to spread

the true faith.

You're ready.

Connex-Killen Oil announces the gift

of a new children's hospital...

... to be built in

honor of the new emir.

I wanted to be on a

bobsled in the Olympics.

What's a bobsled?

Wasim knows what a bobsled is.

Papa, I need to ask you...

Tell him about the bobsled!

Tell him what a bobsled is.

It's a little car.

A little car that goes down

a track of ice and snow.

Papa, may I borrow some

money for the bus?

Oh, how the snow sparkles, the

crunch of it under your feet...

Dalton's not enough.

I would be real careful.

You dig a 6-foot hole,

you'll find three bodies.

But you dig 12, and

maybe you'll find 40.

Christ, China's economy ain't

growing as fast as it could...

... because they can't get

all the oil they need.

Now, I'm damn proud

of that fact.

We need another body, Mr. Pope.

What if...?

What if it involved

somebody at your firm?

Someone way the hell above you.

We'd have to have

an understanding.

Well...

... if...

If he's as big as you say...

... then when he goes down,

the merger will be approved.

Just like that?

We're looking for the illusion

of due diligence, Mr. Pope.

Two criminal acts

successfully prosecuted...

... it gives us that illusion.

Call me Jimmy.

He's a visionary. He's

like Faisal or Atatürk.

And the people love him.

And he's...

The country's gonna

be his by Monday.

It's not like you guys have

backed the wrong horse here.

No, no. No, look, he's

got nine of 11 generals.

We're on our way to the palace right now.

This is really happening.

Silver Range Rover.

With a sunroof.

Silver Range Rover,

sunroof, fourth from lead.

-Guys, help me out here.

-It's coming now.

His wife will be there. Pat.

This is good.

You done good.

Lee, you have guests.

-Syd.

-Leland.

-Bennett Holiday.

-How are you, sir?

-Lee Janus. How are we doing?

-Well.

Those number crunchers can get a

little overzealous, can't they?

Christ, when we write the GAAP rules

like some sort of abstract painting...

... you stare at that

liability hard enough...

... and before long, it'll

turn into an asset.

No, thank you.

-You don't drink?

-No.

It is really beautiful out here.

-What is that?

-What?

In front of them.

The Bedouin always

have right of way.

Lawyers say, "If you can't trust

a Big Five accounting firm...".

The accountants say,

"We're not lawyers".

Legal didn't understand.

Accounting didn't understand.

Nobody understood anything.

The regulatory bodies

had to scratch their

heads for a minute...

... that nobody at Connex

or Killen was at fault.

But this merger is so balance-positive

for American consumers...

... that, ultimately,

the Justice wants it.

Federal courts want it.

Everybody wants it.

Our real client, after all,

is us, the American people.

And we are increasing American

access to oil in Kazakhstan.

So all they ask is that we give them

a little something meaningful...

... which we did.

And they got out of our way.

Something besides Dalton?

Unfortunately, yes.

And the best option

seemed to be...

... a secret deal for excess

Iranian pipeline capacity...

... that I uncovered

during the diligence.

A little side deal benefiting

the lead lawyer...

... involved in the Connex-Killen

merger approval process.

What...

... do you think you're doing?

It's illegal for an American

to control these rights.

Stop right now.

Is there...

... something that you

wanna tell me, Syd?

Connex/ Al-Salwa LNG loading

facility The Persian Gulf

Good afternoon.

I wanna thank our host

for a wonderful spread.

The strawberry juice

is delicious.

Let me just say, on behalf

of Connex-Killen...

... how pleased we are

to be back in the Gulf.

Your Highness? Why don't

you ride together.

Oh, thank you, Bryan.

Ladies and gentlemen...

... this year's

Oilman of the Year:

Mr. Leland Janus

of Connex-Killen.

Who the hell is that?

Excuse me. Hey, are

you seeing that?

Hey!

Hey!

Could you tell who that is?

Hey! Hey!

No, no, no! No!

-Take the target out.

-Roger.

Four miles.

Two miles.

You're the Canadian.

Target destroyed.

23:44 EDT.

I'd like to accept this award...

... on behalf of the

employees of Connex-Killen.

Our people, the

finest in the world.

Guys, could I get you to stand up

for a moment? Please stand up.

Connex-Killen.

And I'd also like to thank...

... our strategic friends from around

the globe who are here tonight.

Most especially...

... Emir Meshal Al-Subaai.

Emir. Thank you so much.

During the funeral...

... I want everyone

to be quiet...

... and I should be

lying on my right side.

You should throw dust on my

body three times while saying:

"From the dust we

are created..."

"... and to dust we return.

"From the dust a new

person will be created."

Everyone should mention that

I died pure of heart...

... and that the next

world is the true life.

The next world is the true life.

Come on, man.

Leave the beer.