Makers of Iraq war film reject anti-Americanism, anti-Semitism criticism

"Valley of the Wolves - Iraq" has drawn criticism for showing trigger-happy US soldiers and an organ-trading Jewish doctor.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS
The makers of an Iraq action movie accused of portraying anti-American and anti-Semitic stereotypes insisted Thursday that they were only interested in showing the horror of war. The Turkish-made "Valley of the Wolves - Iraq" has proved a box-office hit in Germany as well as Turkey, but has drawn criticism for showing US soldiers gunning down Iraqi civilians. The film's scriptwriter insisted Thursday that the film carried no political message and that its triumph of a Turkish hero over an brutal CIA agent in northern Iraq was not meant to be anti-American. A scene showing a Jewish doctor removing organs from Iraqi prisoners for delivery to the US, Britain and Israel was not anti-Semitic, Bahadir Ozdener said. "We are speaking out against the war, the occupation and the human rights violations," Ozdener told reporters in Berlin, where three theaters are currently showing the film. "We in no way wanted to exploit prejudices." The enthusiasm shown by audiences in Germany, which has a large Turkish minority, reflected a "Mediterranean temperament" and not anti-Americanism, Ozdener said.