John Cusack first became interested in making the film when he read Naomi Klein's 2004 article "Baghdad Year Zero".
The "German Businessman" and his associates that John Cusack's character kills in the beginning of the movie speak a mixture of gibberish and Bulgarian. The kids he encounters in Fallaf also speak Bulgarian.
The Tamerlane corporate gift bag contains an autobiography by "Oh, you know who," entitled, "How I Conquered the World and Dealt with Issues with my Father."