Interview with Neil Davis for In the eye of a storm - Sydney Film 6

The unique way that the Americans had of interrogating Viet Cong prisoners by pushing them off helicopters. He believes that war is a series of atrocities and the Americans were not any worse in committing them than the Communists. Davis gives his opinions on Wilfred Burchett. He regards him as very dedicated to what he believed and that was that Communism was a way for the peoples of South East Asia to gain their independence from colonial influence and freedom from their traditional feudal systems. Davis does not believe that Burchett was involved in the interrogation of Australian POWs during the Korean War. He admits that Burchett did on some occasions speak to Australian captives but that this was at the request of the Australian Government. Davis believes that Burchett was a brave man and the several months that he stayed with the Viet Cong proved that. Davis refusal of offers to work for US networks was because he wanted to work alone and that he would not have the freedom in selecting his own stories. The stories covers would have a US slant while Davis wanted to present an unbiased account from an unbiased source i.e. himself. Heavy coverage of the US involvement by the networks gave the perception that the Americans were doing most of the fighting. How Davis kept to his verbal agreement with NBC over the Presidential Palace footage even though he could have sold that footage for ten times the amount to a rival network. Briefly gives his opinions on the major trouble spots for the next five to ten years in southern Africa and the possibility limited nuclear warfare. His opinion of the mercenary leader Callan in Angola. Brief mention of other stories Davis covered such as a tidal wave in Bangladesh and an earthquake in Manila. Comparisons with Damien Parer similar attitudes since Parer also preferred to work alone.