Syriana
Syriana

Danny Dalton: 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 Russia or China 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 regulations. 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 streets. Corruption is why we win.

Syriana
Syriana

Bryan Woodman: But what do you need a financial advisor for? Twenty years ago you had the highest Gross National Product in the world, now you're tied with Albania. Your second largest export is secondhand goods, closely followed by dates which you're losing five cents a pound on... You know what the business community thinks of you? They think that a hundred years ago you were

living in tents out here in the desert chopping each other's heads off and that's where you'll be in another hundred years, so, yes, on behalf of my firm I accept your money.

Syriana
Syriana

Bob Barnes: 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. This is guaranteed. Then, whatever is the most dangerous thing you do in your life, it might be flying in a small plane, it might be walking to the bank, you will 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.
Dean Whiting: Beirut rules, Mr. Barnes?

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Syriana

Prince Nasir Al-Subaai: Americans love to drill holes in other people's countries.

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Syriana

Prince Nasir Al-Subaai: What are they thinking, my brother and these American lawyers?
Bryan Woodman: What are they thinking? They're thinking that it's running out. It's running out... and ninety percent of what's left is in the Middle East. This is a fight to the death.

Syriana
Syriana

Prince Nasir Al-Subaai: When a country has five percent of the world's population but does fifty percent of its military spending, then the persuasive powers of that country are on the decline.

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Syriana

Bob Barnes: I want you to take him from his hotel, drug him, put him in the front of a car, and run a truck into it at 50 mph.

Syriana
Syriana

Bryan Woodman: Great. How much for my other kid?

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Syriana

Jimmy Pope: You dig a six-foot hole and you'll find three bodies. Dig twelve and maybe you'll find forty.

Syriana
Syriana

Dean Whiting: In this town, you're innocent until you're investigated.

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Syriana

Danny Dalton: [Testifying in Congressional hearing] I hear phrases thrown around like the corrupting influence of money, or the evil influence of dollars in politics, when more money is spent on the syndication rights to the Seinfeld television program, than on the whole of the last presidential election.

Syriana
Syriana

Mussawi: Bob, what do you know about the torture methods used by the Chinese on the Falun Gong? Huh? Method number one. What's your guess?
[pause]
Mussawi: 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 would be pretty difficult right? Because if you have no beliefs to recant then what? Then you're fucked is what. You're going to give me the names of every person who's taken money from you.
[rips off one of Bob's

nails]
Mussawi: Oh that is dusgusting.
Bob Barnes: Come on Jimmy, you're not one of those Koran thumpers!
Mussawi: My name is Mussawi.
[rips off another nail, then starts punching Bob]
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! I'm cutting his fucking head off. I'm going to cut your head off, Bob!

Syriana
Syriana

Bryan Woodman: Do you understand what that means, it's like someone put a giant ATM on our front lawn.
Julie Woodman: Here's a question. How do you think it looks to profit off the death of your six year old?

Syriana
Syriana

Sydney Hewitt: You've just visited what someday soon could be the most profitable corporation in America.
Bennett Holiday: Provided the government approves the merger.
Sydney Hewitt: 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 going to buy a lot of houses in the Vineyard. Maybe even yours.

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Syriana

Bennett Holiday: We're looking for the illusion of due diligence, Mr. Pope.

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Syriana

Robby Barnes: Both of my parents are professional liars.

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Syriana

Dean Whiting: Bennett.
Bennett Holiday: Sir?
Dean Whiting: At my firm, I have a flock of sheep who think they're lions. Maybe you're a lion everyone thinks is a sheep.

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Syriana

Farooq: An announcement. If man is made in God's image then God is deeply messed up.

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Syriana

Bob Barnes: 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?
Fred Franks: I'm advising you to drop it.
Bob Barnes: Why am I being investigating? Why am I being investigating, Fred?
Fred Franks: Goodbye, Bob.

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Syriana

Bob Barnes: Innocent until investigated? That's nice. It's got a nice ring to it. Bet you've worn some miles on old sayings like that. Gives the listener the sense of the law being written as it's spoken.