Moore premieres anti-Bush film in US

Cheered by supporters, film-maker Michael Moore has premiered his controversial documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11, before a US audience.

The two-hour film depicts President George Bush as lazy and oblivious to warnings in the summer of 2001 that al-Qaida was poised to strike. It also accuses the administration of manipulating the September 11 attacks and fanning terrorism fears to win support for the Iraq war.

Dozens of fans greeted Moore outside the theatre in Washington where the film was screened before a mostly Democratic audience.

Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said he thought the film would play an important role in a presidential election year.

“This movie raises a lot of the issues that Americans are talking about, that George Bush has been asleep at the switch since he’s been President,” Mr McAuliffe said as he walked the red carpet into the premiere.

Moore, a fervent Bush critic, said he hopes the film will get people to the ballot box in November.

“If this movie can inspire a few of that 50% that did not vote in this country to get back involved, to re-engage, then the movie will have accomplished something important,” he said.

Opening in New York yesterday, the film drew mixed reaction.

“This movie is slanted. It’s a backlash at the President, taking the view that US leadership is incompetent,” said Miguel Brown, 22.

“Moore makes it look like US soldiers in Iraq were thrown into battle straight off the streets. The American army is better than that.”

Fahrenheit 9/11 won the top honour at last month’s Cannes Film Festival. The film opens nationwide in the US tomorrow.