Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (Valley of the Wolves Iraq): Anti-American, Pure Movie Making or Prelude to Terrorism?

Kurtlar Vadisi Irak (English translation, Valley of the Wolves Iraq) is one of the latest movies making big headlines this year everywhere but the headlines scream havoc in the field of controversy. Hollywood's limelight producers and actors have so far been tight lipped while people in general seem to have mixed emotions.

So what's the buzz? Valley of the Wolves Iraq is to date, the most anti-American film ever produced.

Fact: The Hood Event

On July 4th of 2003 Turkish soldiers believed their allies were visiting them but it wasn't a friendly visit. Eleven Turkish soldiers operating in Sulaymaniyah, northern Iraq were captured at gunpoint and led away with bags over their heads by American forces. The U.S. military interrogated the soldiers, Turkey protested their capture and sixty hours later, the eleven soldiers were released.

In Turkey, this event was big news but it was hardly covered in United States.

US Defense Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld wrote a letter expressing sorrow to the Turkish Prime Minister and a U.S.-Turkish commission established to investigate the incident did issue a joint statement of regret, neither side apologized.

The relationship between Turkey and America suffered.

Although American forces claim they were looking for insurgents and that the Turks weren't in uniform, the people of Turkey interpreted the event as a direct insult and have marked the day with a name they refer to as "The Hood Event", insinuating a cover up.

The Plot

Valley of the Wolves Iraq begins on July 4th of 2004, the day of the infamous Hood Event, documented in the movie as the day America chose to shift some weight to prove that America is the super power and the ones who should call all the shots.

The plot thickens when one of the eleven soldiers captured that day, Suleyman Aslan a first lieutenant, commits suicide. Sulyeman Aslan left behind a letter addressed specifically to Polat Alemdar.

Polat Alemdar, a highly trained Turkish intelligence agent who has no connection with the secret agency he has worked for due to complications of a prior mission is living in northern Iraq with his soldiers. Alemdar, now a renegade of sorts, feels compelled to take vengeance against those who have dishonored his friend.

The responsible party is Sam Marshall played by the American actor Billy Zane.

Sam Marshall is a forty-year-old ex American soldier who has established a secret unit with the CIA consisting of twelve men that follow his order unquestionably. Sam Marshall is a shady character that carries out murderous tactics that are less than honorable and will stop at nothing to succeed.

When Alemdar arrives in Northern Iraq he finds a country at the brink with death and destruction everywhere, he's angered deeply by the sights and even more so after realizing that the values of his country have been disregarded.

The Controversy

Billy Zane's character, Sam Marshall, is an American who will let nothing stand in his way. He resorts to torture, the killing of innocent people and the rape of women as tactics to win. Sam Marshall doesn't think twice about blowing up inhabited buildings and never tallies the death toll before carrying out plans, casualties of war are not important.

Men, women and children are just a part of the game. Marshall and his followers massacre civilians at a wedding party, they shoot and kill a little boy in front of his mother and they firebomb a holy masque during evening worship.

Then there's the wounded victims or those left alive.

Marshall drags them off to Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison where the character of American actor Gary Busey is introduced. Busey plays a Jewish-American doctor who has been practicing 'medicine' in the region for a few years, specializing in transplant procedures. Busey's character removes valuable body parts from the Iraqi's only to sell them to wealthy buyers.

Enough said.

The Debate

While some people imply this is only a movie, others worry about the implications that could surface because the movie is being distributed in other countries too. The movie is obviously anti-American and at a time when America is vulnerable … is now a time for this type of movie?

The obvious answer is of course not.

While many may argue about the implications that could arise, most will not deny the fact that this movie tarnishes the already suffering image of Americans in general.

Because Valley of the Wolves Iraq centers around The Hood Event and because some of the points of interest such as Abu Ghraib, people may tend to confuse the fiction from the fact. The tension brewed from this anti-American flick may have some serious repercussions to come.

Most people are still waiting to see what fate has in store for the American actors involved. Will we see Billy Zane or Gary Busey on American screens again?

Only time will tell.