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...
...Ioses 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 products to the
consumer at the lowest possible prices.
LELAND JANUS
CEO, CONNEX OIL
It's 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.
There's at least 10 to 12 dollars
of instability premium.
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 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.
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 rsum-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. 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. Thank you for your time.
They let 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 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 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 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 U. S...
... 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,
so you don't die of the DTs.
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.
- 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 understand how
you could do anything in that.
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 and 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.
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.
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.
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.
My daughter's got a soccer game.
Big one.
Did you see my missile report?
I reset the guidance to blow 10 feet...
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, you've done...
...but probably just the dumbest thing
you'll do today. Probably.
But why would you need
an economic adviser?
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 in tents,
chopping each other's heads off...
...and that's exactly where you'll 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.
You've been selling your oil...
...sticking it on ships and watching
as it sails away around Africa to there.
Pretend for a second that
this is excess Iranian pipeline capacity.
That's your route. Right there.
Overland, through Iran.
Hook up with these pipes.
Commoditize it, control it...
...take it to the doorstep
of every home in Europe.
I just doubled your profit.
I think that's a pretty good idea.
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 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 clich.
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.
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...
Beirut.
No, no. 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.
He'll bring them out.
Okay. Thank you, Susan.
Hello?
Yeah.
Who's this?
Yeah. Okay.
How you doing, sir?
Somebody called me.
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 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.
Mussawi's shopping photos
of them doing the deal, long lens.
Photos of Bob being held.
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 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 finding out who 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...
...Republic of Kazakhstan's
minister of Domestic Resources.
This was discussed
at the Upstream Division meeting...
...in January, 2003 in Sun Valley, Idaho.
I was at the meeting,
but I don't focus on those 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 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?
Lowliest little shareholder knows we deal
with 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 he broke an agreement
to repay funds 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.
- 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.
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.
If we can be a part of
any of these countries...
...getting a parliament,
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.
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...
...the people who appointed your boss...
...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, about Tehran.
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...
...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.
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
Atatrk. 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. Regulatory
bodies scratched their heads...
...that nobody at Connex or Killen
was at fault.
But this merger is so balance-positive
for American consumers...
...that, ultimately, 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.
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.
WHILE INSPIRED BY A NON-FICTION
WORK, THIS MOTION PICTURE...
...AND ALL OF THE CHARACTERS
AND EVENTS PORTRAYED IN IT...
...(EX CEPT FOR INCIDENTAL
ARCHIVAL FOOTAGE), ARE FICTIONAL.