# Syriana question SPOILERS **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780 "2008-09-03T00:23:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/1 "2008-09-03T00:23:33Z")
I just watched this film again tonight. It’s very good but there was one thing I wasn’t clear about and wonder if it was explained and I missed it. It’s a query about very near the ending. They’re in the desert driving along and then. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Why does Bob (Clooney) try to intercede in the Emir’s brother’s (Siddig) assassination? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/2 "2008-09-03T04:35:07Z")
I haven’t seen this since it was in the theaters, but I always thought it was because he was an enlightened and thoughtful man who would be an influence for good in the region (which would of course be grounds for assassination in the anti-rational middle east) Roddy. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/3 "2008-09-03T05:35:31Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I haven’t seen this since it was in the theaters, but > > I always thought it was because he was an enlightened and thoughtful man who would be an influence for good in the region (which would of course be grounds for assassination in the anti-rational middle east) > > Roddy. Seconded. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/4 "2008-09-03T10:37:05Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Seconded. But he was okay with trying to kill him in Beirut before that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/5 "2008-09-04T04:15:02Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > But he was okay with trying to kill him in Beirut before that. Hmmm. I think I need to watch it again then. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/6 "2008-09-04T04:21:30Z")
Maybe he had a change of heart in the interval between the two events the more he got to know him? Been awhile since I’ve seen it. Now this is bothering me. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2008, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/7 "2008-09-04T12:51:25Z")
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, so I might be talking out of my ass … The way I remembered it is that Clooney’s character ended up betrayed by his contact, who was going to torture and kill him. Luckily for him, he was saved, however once the story went public, his bosses hung him out to dry. They basically said he was working on his own and that they had nothing to do with it. He later realized that he was just being used to do a job that would install a pro-America leader in that country and this had nothing to do with taking out an oppressive regime. As a result, he wanted to try and warn the guy so that this wouldn’t happen. But, like I said, I haven’t seen it in a long time and it’s a pretty complicated movie so I could be misremembering parts. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2008, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/syriana-question-spoilers/461780/8 "2008-09-05T01:06:30Z")
> [@interface2x](#): > > It’s been a long time since I’ve seen this, so I might be talking out of my ass … > > The way I remembered it is that Clooney’s character ended up betrayed by his contact, who was going to torture and kill him. Luckily for him, he was saved, however once the story went public, his bosses hung him out to dry. They basically said he was working on his own and that they had nothing to do with it. He later realized that he was just being used to do a job that would install a pro-America leader in that country and this had nothing to do with taking out an oppressive regime. As a result, he wanted to try and warn the guy so that this wouldn’t happen. > > But, like I said, I haven’t seen it in a long time and it’s a pretty complicated movie so I could be misremembering parts. Yes, I think that’s it.