CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR - make that Charlie Wilson's Whopper

[arianndarien]

The Caspian story is a red herring. Like the Taliban & OBL, the oil story is in Pakistan. To learn more, watch my series, "Conflict of Interest - Patterns in Chaos," Parts 1-3.

[arianndarien]

To "oddballs," sorry I'm answering your question so tardily. You're on the right track re the motivations of Wilson & co., but looking in the wrong direction. The Cao

[rollotwomassey]

The movie never claimed that the CIA supported only or even mostly Massoud. They alluded to the fact that they were the more militarily proficient groups and should be a focal point for training. What do the makers of this movie think the intention was- "We must keep Hekmatyar out of the conversation! As we all know Gulbaddin Hekmatyar is a well-known name in every American household so we should downplay his role and his connections to OBL so we don't expose the blowback from these covert ops!"

[375GTB]

These people have their own axe to grind.

I just finished George Criles book this morning... my third reading.

Gust and Mike should give their account.

To bad Charlie's no longer with us....

As the Zen master said: "we'll see"

J.C.

[nopmop]

lol i search up how to make a burger king whopper and i got this

[singspiel18]

The ultimate credit should go to Ronald Reagan who wasn't afraid to let the Soviets know what America's intentions in Afghanistan were. Without the blanket permission from Reagan to act in Afghanistan, there would be no Charlie Wilson or Gust Avrakotos.

[Ghurshah]

Khurasan Zameen (stained with tribal name of Afghanistan by its enemies) will always produce sons like Massoud - defending it to the last breath - against the arrogance and kniving schemes of both internal and external enemies.

[arianndarien]

For new information about Charlie Wilson and Afghanistan, please view CONFLICT OF INTEREST - PATTERNS IN CHAOS, Parts 1, 2 and 3 on youtube.

Also note, Melissa Roddy posted an article about Wilson on Huffington Post on February 11, 2010.

[bapyou]

Why did the filmaker call Tom Hanks? He's just an actor. Surely he had nothing to do with the substance of the script. Why not contact the screenwriter? Wouldn't that be a more logical call to have made? I think the filmaker was just trying to get close to a movie star.

[arianndarien]

In this case, Tom Hanks was the executive producer. His company, Playtone, bought the rights to George Crile's book and signed the deal with Wilson directly. So he wasn't "just an actor" this time out.

[bapyou]

Still, he didn't write the script.

I sense from the filmaker an urgency to get close to "movie stars" and be noticed. That's my impression.

[arianndarien]

I live in LA. If I want to get close to movie stars, a stop at my neighborhood coffee shop works.

I called Playtone, because it's proper journalism, when making a public accusation, to offer the subject a chance to respond.

[bapyou]

"I live in LA."

Hurray for you! What do you want? A cookie?

I have lived in LA for 15 years. In all that time, I've never seen a single "movie star" in a "neighborhood coffee shop."

[arianndarien]

Last week I was sitting next to Mel Gibson in my neighborhood coffee shop. I guess it just depends on the neighborhood. The point is, this project is not about trying to get close to Tom Hanks. It's about holding US officials accountable for reckless policies, which resulted in the destruction of a nation. The point of calling Tom Hanks is to hold him accountable for glamourizing those reckless policies and propagandizing misinformation about them.

[bapyou]

"The point is, this project is not about trying to get close to Tom Hanks."

I understand & even appreciate your stated goals for the film. It just doesn't come off that way.

[arianndarien]

Again, Tom Hanks was the Executive Producer, therefore Aaron Sorkin, the writer, was his employee.

[bapyou]

"(Gulbaddin Hekmatyar's) followers first gained attention by throwing acid in the faces of women who refused to wear the veil. CIA and State Department officials I have spoken with call him "scary," "vicious," "a fascist," "definite dictatorship material." "

- TIm Weiner in 'Blank Check: The Pentagon's Black Budget' (Warner Books 1990).

[Looter246]

Yes ISI were the go-betweens and the movie is based on the book by Crile, Tom Hanks was just going by the accounts of the people involved.

[arianndarien]

And yet, there were Afghans on staff and in the case of the movie who tried repeatedly, and in vane, to convince the filmmakers to tell the truth. Unfortunately, the filmmakers were under threat of lawsuit by Herring and Wilson to keep it the way we all saw it.

[Looter246]

So, are you saying Tim Hanks was going to change the story from what is writen in Criles' book?

I really don't understand the focus is on Hanks when the movie is based on Crile's book.

[arianndarien]

The focus is on Hanks, because, as Executive Producer, he was the highest authority on the production team. However, in their defense, Aaron Sorkin's 2005 version of the script (Hanks bought the rights in 2003) contained a reference to Hekmatyar. Wilson and Herring threatened to sue if that version went forward.

[Looter246]

I'll have to watch the movie again. But I didn't get the impression that they were saying the CIA only armed Massoud, or deviated from Crile's book.

Maybe thats b/c I read the book first. As well as others written by key individuals. So I knew that the ISI acted as quartermaster to the muj, and armed all sorts of groups.

I do disagree with the claim that, had we not armed the Muj, 9/11 would've never happened.

As well as the assertion that Afghans are one homogeneous group.

[afghanmountianhound]

hekmatyaar got the over 70% of the support.

ahmed shah masood got very little..

[MrNotmytime]

This documentary is one-sided. The CIA did NOT deal directly with the Afghans who received American support, but rather dealt through Pakistani middle men. There are many reasons for this. For one, if the Soviets had caught Americans handing weapons to the Afghans who were killing them, it would have caused an international crisis. Additonally, nobody wanted to risk the lives of U.S. servicemen to do something that the Pakistanis were simply far better able to.

[CazK88]

@MrNotmytime

I would disagree that it would cause an international crisis. Heck no. The Soviet knew we were sending weapons to Pakistan. They knew just like we knew they were giving aid to N. Vietnam when we were in the fight to stop communism. The problem with this was it was a covert war that each of us were fighting. The cold war was made to not strike each other directly but through ideas and third parties by exploiting periphery nations.

[Azadaghan]

but how amiraca sapport when they sent money first pakistan saperete they are share then they give the left money to hakmatyar after that if he want gave some money to him otherwise ... if i say he didn't give it's trought becz hakmatyar hit massoud and he wanted to he don't be in that field

[Azadaghan]

who martyred masood? answer amiraca. now they try to show that he was the amiracan man it is totally wronge masood never been in western coutries he start defence from his won country and no doubt that amiraca gave money but it don't reavel that massod was the amiracan person , amiracan gave money for thier own aim( to broke down the russian empaire) cause they have fear from russian but massod's war was for freedome.when he dont allow amiraca in his country then they assasanited him

[teacherabc22231905]

I would like to discuss this more with you.

[gazia12]

Grousers.We'll see....

[arianndarien]

Thank you for those words of support. They are truly encouraging.

As for the news media, they just bought the propaganda they were fed.

Rest assured, I am not muzzled, and the world will be hearing more about this from me.

[telectroscope]

His support to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar.

Lbbying for Pakistan. The morphing of covert actions in 80's Afghanistan into the 9/11 tragedy-attack on US soil. How does Charlie Wilson sleep at night?

And why when the movie came out, did the newspapers and critics not highlight the true nature of the geostrategic ramifications of Charlie Wilson's and Joanne Herring's "crusade"?

Not to say, why didn't the newspapers get it right the first time around when this was playing out. What muzzles them now?

[mrgoodcat8x56r]

just to let you know and i quote" These things happened, They were glorious and they changed the world.... and then we fucked up the end game."(Charlie Wilson) he tried to do more after that to make it known that the USA were the ones helping, but it was covert, and the great majority of Afghanistan people still thinks we didn't do anything and turned our heads. he wanted the US to build schools, and help them rebuild, but congress wouldn't allow it.

[BBCater]

No offense, but you just restated the script from the movie - you didn't substantiate anything with FACTS.

If you think that ANYONE in Hollywood has a true "grasp" on world events, well... I really don't know how to end the sentence.

[telectroscope]

Fine! Nothing new there. This was in European and Indian newspapers all through those years. But then of course, the Europeans are weasels and why concede brownie points to the Indians?

Meanwhile, as is the case of the most famous cave-dweller in the world; Gulbuddin Hekmatyar too, is alive still. Why?

Pakistan indulges in self-torture, endangering half the world. Yet everyone on the banks of the Potomac want to keep it "engaged". That marraige wont last.

Fake movie, Mr. Hanks.

[MadMonk10a]

All stands to reason why it is never a good idea to let IVY LEAGUE types fight wars from the safety of their ivory towers. They always manage to screw something up somewhere. When you tie the hands of those in the field and ignore their knowledge & concerns, you're going to end up with a mess. In success, the ends justify the means in terms of stopping the Soviets/Communism in Afghanistan. The ball was dropped there in the 90's as was so many other things in the "Era of Perfection"...

[Ipvicus]

Here's a concept, read the facts about the War in Afghanistan. If you had, you'd realize that the US aid was NOT distributed by us. It was distributed by the ISI.

Charlie Wilson and the CIA had very little choice in what the final destination of weapons sent by us were. I suppose in hindsight you'd rather the Soviets had stayed in Afghanistan? I thought not.

Maybe if House Republicans had maintained Charlie Wilson's commitment to humanitarian aid in Afghanistan we'de not know of the Taleban.

[arianndarien]

What if the book, CWW, is not a perfect recanting of the facts? 2 people have complained that they were mischaracterized but not consulted by the author. Wilson and CIA did have choices. This video contains the comments of 1st hand participants saying how CIA's hands were NOT TIED re funneling support through ISI. The lingering question is, why did CIA refuse to change what it knew was a dangerous course of action -- i.e., allowing ISI to control distribution?

[katrfast]

the people are talking there are not from afghanistan but they know about ahmad shah massoud and its truth that he never had a contact wirh packistan. and I add that ahmad shah massoud was having less support from the us government than gollbidin hicmat yar hade.

[arianndarien]

Hi Norgermish,

Funny name. What can it mean? In answer to your question about how the content in my video relates to today: Pakistan has been arming the most brutal fundamentalists to attack Afghanistan since the 1970s. The Soviets responded to the Afghan Communist Govt's request for help to counter these attacks. When the people that the Paks favored in the 1980s (i.e., Hekmatyar) failed to take control of Afghanistan, in the mid 1990s Pakistan organized, funded and armed the Taliban.

[kellymkg72]

You are wrong, US funded the Afgnan's get a clue.

Ever heard of the fight against communism??

[norgermish]

I know that things are coming to a real serious climax with the ....."John the Baptist of Islam" Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Do you think Russia still wants to use the Middle East for control in the world? I know that it is not the area concerned in your video but ....it is the area concerned today. BTW...Thanks for your video concerning this important part of world history. Here is a site concerning Russia?Iran involvement today.

[arianndarien]

The only difference between the 1980s and today is that today American and NATO soldiers (rather than Soviet soldiers), along with Afghan civilians, are bearing the brunt of the ongoing policy of Pakistan's to keep Afghanistan weak, unstable and ultimately under Pakistani control. It's all about their unwillingness to renegotiate the border, which was arbitrarily drawn by the British in the 1890s and cuts the Pashtun territories in half. The Pashtuns don't recognize the border-thus the problem.

[norgermish]

Hi Melissa, Thanks for the view points on this topic. I am going to watch CWW tonight with some friends. It seems again we are dealing with covert operations and the normal deceit that goes along with it. How does all this apply to today and the possibility that Putin and Medvedev may still want to get "involved" with the Middle East?....Iran for instance.

[swj0001]

fantastic work. Where can one go to contribute and help you finish this?

[arianndarien]

send me a message, I'd love to talk.

[CurrentAffairsJunky]

This was interesting, however revisionist. Most know that Massoud was The Man in Afghanistan, and he would have been the right guy to work with. Remember as you watch this video. The movie does not suggest that Massoud was supported in any great degree and the book addresses this situation in detail. Remember, Humphrey at the time was accusing the CIA of not doing enough in the way of support for the Freedom Fighters, and also made accusations that the weapons the CIA did provide were limited.

[1arianndarien]

The book was poorly sourced. It seems Crile spoke with Wilson, Avrokotos and Bearden only. 2 people have told me they were misrepresented in it. Wilson worked for Pakistan, which was and still is the problem for Afghanistan. If the Durrand Line is renegotiated, they fear Pashtuns will choose independence or reunite with Afgh. This goes double in Balochistan, where Paks fear losing the oil and gas. My film is told only by 1st hand participants, so people will know its info is reliable.

[CurrentAffairsJunky]

Not sure why "a phone call was put into Tom Hanks." The movie was only providing entertainment value. The movie makers did not claim it was a documentary, so I'm not sure why the CWW movie and Tom Hanks was referenced here. It makes the woman in he clip look goofy. And what's funny is that I agree, we backed the wrong guys. I think most would agree post 9/11. Again, the ref to Tom Hanks at the end is just a little melodramatic and goofy. Where can I see this film documentary? want to learn more

[JimboTHC]

Even if it is not a documentary a film based on historical events still has some responsibility to accuracy.

[arianndarien]

Thanks Jimbo. I couldn't agree more.

[arianndarien]

The first frame of the movie is a statement that it is a true story. That is one reason it was critical to expose its untruths. The truth is, it was pure propaganda. I do not make that statement idly.

The call to Tom Hanks was mostly an entertaining bit, but also a sincere opportunity to allow him to talk back to me.

As for the documentary film, it's in desparate need of finishing funds. But you'll be the first to know as soon as it's finished.

[angelmanvic]

Please consider correcting the facts in Wikipedia on this subject. The truth is that

Pakistani Intel was behind 9-11, not Bin Ladin.

CIA funded the most extreamist killers and wackos and now they wish to be painted as heroes and freedom fighters. Its all a made up fairy tale.

[kellymkg72]

You are correct there...US funds, then creates wars...it is insane, and then people do not even realize or have the capacity to know how much we are considered the "axis OF evil" around the world....

[0ddba11s]

@1arianndarien I only got to see this movie recently and I was wondering what you thought the real reason was for the USA and Britain supporting the Afghans. At the time Britain gave them old WW2 Lea Enfield rifles and lied to Britain on TV saying that the Afghans made them in sheds. I look at the fact that Wilson represented Texas and hence Texas oil interests in the Caspian and hence Afghanistan.

Hence we are there now and changed a government to one we can deal with in a Capitalist way.

[PamirPictures]

Masoud gave his life for Islam and Afghanistan, he defended every man, women, elderly, children, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras's and Uzbecks. as a Pashtun myself, we can never accept him as a leader of us because he was not a Pashtun but at the same time we will never ever have a leader like him, not only us but even the Tajiks themselves will never ever have a leader like him again. May Allah(SWT) rest his soul in peace and guide us all to be like him.

[sikminesta]

i dont like this video and i do not like the people intervied in them. They seem small minded and wrong. They are the type of people that only point out the wrong things...anybody can do that...how about we look at what Wilson did right or atleast what his intentions were!

[G3FORC3]

Where's the HEROIN in C.W.'s WAR ??

The CIA funded the Mudjahideen by creating the heroin industry on the Afg./Pak borders. Before that, only local opium was grown. After Russia's defeat, DRUG PROFITS flowed to Eastern Europe, helping to collapse the Soviet empire. During the Taliban's reign, opium production drops from 4,000 tonnes to 43 Metric tons. Since the US invasion H. prod'n soared to 6,500.TONS Billions of dollars indrug money buys a lot of IED's. See: " Who Is Ossma bin Ladden"

[HelloLiefje]

I couldn't hear the last thing she said ("maybe I shouldn't wait ...."), but I salute her for bringing the false rewriting of recent history to attention.

Why the deviation from the "charlie wilsons' war" book and the false trail? Let me guess. US support bolstering a murderous fanatic in the '80 does not sound as good as US support bolstering the good guy.

As long as the War on Terror rages, the US public isn'r ready for the truth.

[fntime]

How would you know 'bubblehead'! The only murderous fanatics I've ever encountered come

from Sweden...who are the REAL bad guys.

"Now go home and get your fucken shoe shine

kit"!

[NmBrDrl2]

Who is this woman? And why does everyone have to negate every good thing done because of the small bad things that may have been done?

Remember September 11th? Terrible day. But I'm an optimist. Right before that event, people were talking about a race war between blacks and whites or some other irrelevant BS.

After that day, people were more concerned about the country as a whole. You have to take the bad with the good.

[jojokerus]

The point is that we should get history right. If this detail was not important there would be no attempt to change it. It is very disturbing someone in the shadows is changing the script in Hollywood to protect their own image. Nothing good comes from lying.

[tacopantz]

congrats on your wikepedia link

:)

[panshir]

Congratulations for the video. Maybe you should contact also Marc Sageman, currently at UPenn, then at the CIA in Pakistan (codename, Bulldog). He had to leave that country when threatened by Gulbuddin.

[arianndarien]

Thanks for the tip.

[Sencafe1]

I find it amazing that such people make these kind of comments. Let's face it..May be some things were not done properly, but the defeat of the soviets in Afghanistan led to the destruction of the Soviet block and the access to freedom to hundreds of millions of people in Eastern Europe and in the world.

Sure that mistakes were made, but using the Pakistanis to help the afghans in their fight against the Soviets was the only way to lead this kind of operations. The US could simply not appear.

[PanjshirTv]

this is the best documentry, cuz masood was independent us ignores him cuz he was not listening to their all advise. on the other hand pakisss wanted to rule afghanistan and they needed someone just like hekmatyar to obey thier orders.

[p717]

Everything I've read about Massoud is concurrent with the claims of the documentery here. I haven't seen the movie myself...But two day before 911 Massoud was assasinated by a Saudi American Ally.

[arianndarien]

What makes you say Saudi AMERICAN Ally? That's an interesting comment. I'd like to know more.

[noster88]

Lady needs to chill the fuck out.

[Code13579]

hahaha

[tacopantz]

yeah because APATHY totally helps the situation.

[MechaFM]

our support didnt go to massoud but we didnt knowingly support Hekmatyar. We gave the money to the Pakistani ISI whom distributed the aid to Hekmatyar and other fundamentalists like hardcore pashtun tribes in the south.

[arianndarien]

Thank you for your thoughtful reply. However, according to former Senator Humphrey, as he states in the video, the Congress did know that ISI was favoring the hardcore fundamentalists, particularly Hekmatyar and Sayaf, and tried diligently, though alas, unsuccessfully, to get the Reagan Administration to take control of distribution.

[badqual]

such a truth video, ever i watched about afghanistan, way to go interviewer!!

and yes massoud was the greatest man in the history of afghanistan!

[obsesedgamer2]

This women is such a bitch! i mean really the whole thing about sitting by the phone. All i can say is EPIC PHAIL!

[evilhenny2000]

honestly,asking Tom hanks a question like that is the same as asking the cashier at McDonalds what spices they put in the chicken...

[arianndarien]

No, not in this case. Tom Hanks was not a hired hand on this project. He was the executive producer. He was the driving force behind the movie.

[essertpitay]

One fact for sure : with Massoud, events would have been different...

The context was the cold war, you cannot transpose the mindsets of the time to today's situation.

[farlars]

Read the BOOK that's all I can say - in my case listen to the book. I haven't seen the movie yet so I don't know what the claims are. The ISI made the decisions where the aid went, not the CIA.

[arianndarien]

I have spoken with more than one person who states that the book contains misinformation about them, yet Crile never contacted them. That's just sloppy journalism.

As for ISI making the decisions about whom was to receive the benefit of your tax dollars and mine -- note that Senator Humphrey states that  several members of Congress tried to convince the Reagan Administration/CIA to take control of distribution. The question is, why didn't they?

[floydatapotata]

all levels of the US government have to share information freely. if agencies like the CIA withhold vital information either intentionally or through incompetence the decision makers and power brokers can at best have only partial success. we need communication between all levels to succeed.

[Euroman25]

Melissa is right you know, If you guys read the book, Charlie though more of what Zia said than anyone else!

[1arianndarien]

Thanks, Euroman! But just so you know, more than one person in the book has approached me about the fact that they were not only misrepresented, but never contacted by the author. So George Crile's book is not a very reliable source of info. He seems to have relied almost exclusively on Wilson's word. I recommend GHOST WARS for the authoritative story.

[bert666666]

I suggest guys like Gilles Dorronsoro (Afghanistan, 1979 to present) or Olivier Roy (everything about Afghanistan), those two guys were in Afghanistan before, during and after the soviet occupation, and worked as scientists (ethnology, history...)

Comprehensive history.

[1arianndarien]

Thanks, Bert. Dorronsoro is new info for me. I have heard of Olivier Roy, but never read him. I'll look into getting copies of both their works.

[Euroman25]

Thanks Melissa,

One p. 212 of C.Wilsons War Crile writes:

The meek-looking professor (S. Mojadeddi) became instantly agitated and began, in most remarkable fashion, to denounce Gulbadin as a true mons monster and an enemy of Afghanistan. He accused Gulbadin of being dangerous fundamentalist,busy assinating moderate Afghans, a man no self respecting nation should support....

So anyway Charlie and Joanna were warned, against Gulbadin! So why they choose to listen to Zia, is beyond me!

/Fred

[1arianndarien]

Thanks Fred. I wish I could get a first-hand interview from someone with that information here in the U.S. If you know of anybody, please send me an email.

[Euroman25]

Try to look a Larry P. Goodson Ph.d. He is supposedly an Afghanistan expert.

Larry P. Goodson is Director and Associate Professor of Middle East Studies in the Department of

National Security and Strategy at the US Army War College in Carlisle, PA.

Hope this helps.

/Fred

[bert666666]

Hekmatyar took a beating from taleban in 96, and lost his pakistanis support at the same time. Since then, he was hidden in Iran, and came back after 2001 (because of iranians?) then supported taleban, then withdrew his support...Hekmatyar as usual...Kosk-hekmatyar...

[Euroman25]

She is hot!

[bert666666]

The US didn't give money to afghans, but to Pakistan, who gave it to afghans. Massoud received a part of the weapons, but not a great one, because he was a persian, not a pashto. Hekmatyar received more for sure, because he wanted a fondamentalist and Pakistan friendly regime .

Wilson went one time in Afghanistan, and everything was staged by ISI in order to please him and the girl he had with him.

[1arianndarien]

Massoud spoke a dialect of Persian called Dari, the dominant language of Afghanistan. Thus the Saudis mistakenly believed he was Shia. Ethnically he was a Tajik. It is my understanding that Wilson went into Afghanistan a 2nd time, with Jalaluddin Haqqani. Haqqani is now Taliban, Hekmatyar is pro-Taliban, and nowadays both are busily killing American soldiers. One point of my film, as stated by Senator Humphrey, is that the CIA could have taken control of distribution, but refused to do so.

[bert666666]

Oh, saudis are not that dumb! Massoud was affiliated to the jamiat e islami of Rabbani. Rabbani was a scholar who translated texts of sayed Qutbs, of the Muslim Brotherhood, and made frrequent visits in Saudi Arabia. Turki Al Faycal, secret services boss, knew that Massoud was a sunni! 60% of Afghanistan is persian speaking, thta does not mean they're shia (about 20% of Afghanistan...)

[bert666666]

Wilson wanted to go inside Afghanistan but Akhtar, the ISI boss didn't want him to go in. The ISI staged his visit in Haqqani camp close to the border, so he was able to pose on a horse surrounded by armed mujahideen. Wilson insisted to have oerlikon guns, not stingers, but that particular one was expensive and heavy, nothing to do with mountain fight by guerilla!

Afghans deserve much better than stupid propaganda movie.

[slick901]

@1arianndarien

Hekmatyar is pro-Taliban.

where did u get that from?

[1arianndarien]

BTW, thank you for commenting.

[1arianndarien]

You're right about the Oerlikons, even ISI tried to talk him out of buying them. The Saudi "Shia mistake" info comes from GHOST WARS, usually considered accurate. It's also important to note that, though Massoud was allied with Rabbani, and Rabbani received much support, he didn't always share it with Massoud.

[slick901]

Well i guess Massoud was in an isolated small area of afghanistan.

am i mistaken?

[arianndarien]

That's the most commonly used excuse. But it doesn't hold water. Supplies were in fact sent to Massoud. I've spoken with a journalist who was in Panjshir when a shipment arrived. He said it contained a bunch of rusty old WWI rifles, as opposed to the AK-47s and AK-74s being provided to Hekmatyar's party.

[neonn2]

Masoud's top friends in the Afghan government including Qasim Fahim and Yunis Qanuni were arrested in Dubai international airport with millions in cash and bags of diamond (likely stolen from the Afghan treasury).

[MuslimsUnitedd]

Masoud gave his life for Islam and Afghanistan, he defended every man, women, elderly, children, Pashtuns, Tajiks, Hazaras's and Uzbecks. as a Pashtun myself, we can never accept him as a leader of us because he was not a Pashtun but at the same time we will never ever have a leader him, not only us but even the Tajiks themselves will never ever have a leader like again. May Allah(SWT) rest his soul in peace and guide us all to be like him.

[neonn2]

Masoud gave his ass to anyone who had money. He was used like a prostitute by the Iranians, Pakis and U.S. After the fall of the Soviets, Masoud gave his ass to the Russians for money. Masoud was responsible for raping Afghan women during the civil war and looting Afghan government property.

[MuslimsUnitedd]

Masoud (RA) was the best Islam could offer, not only he fought the Russians but also the Pakistanis, Arabs, Shias, Iranians and he would have stood firm defending his mother land against the Crusaders right now. Death to Enemies of Afghanistan and it's People and May Allah (SWT) unite all Afghans and Muslims to be like Ahmad Shah Masoud (RA).

[cami888]

relax bud.

[zapatista512]

If there is a false claim as big as this, it was done on purpose. I worked on the movie "The Alamo" as a assistant stunt-man and was very impressed by amount of effort into making things as historically accurate and realistic as possible. The scenes edited out were done due to the producer's (disney) politics.

[zapatista512]

Great work on the mini doc. It is important to note that many of the films that are released through Hollywood today are supported and sponsored by the Pentagon. A great example of a modern propaganda film that had the support of the Pentagon was the movie Armageddon. Hollywood spends a great deal of money on historians, anthropologists etc to get the facts straight on movies.

[xtianrz]

I agree with you about propaganda in Hollywood but I have to say that it is not something unique to U.S. I believe countries on the left as in the Right are guilty of using nationalism to get people to do what they want.

[1arianndarien]

Bronco BS will be pleased to know that Sweater Babe has been busily collecting interviews with plenty of the "right people", some of whom have stated on-camera that "plausible deniability" was, as early as 1981, a silly excuse, since everybody concerned with the issue already knew the U.S. was supplying the mujahiddin.

[bronco3250]

Uhh covert operation will always have enough deniability attached to it so as to not link politically incorrect allies to each other for obvious reasons. Some little honey with a political agenda and sweater melons either didnt question the right people or did not get the answers that would lead her to any conclusion . Covert operation also dont inform eveyone, in fact almost no one that would later be a perceived threat.

[dswynne]

And the thing is that the documentarian doesn't put any of this into context. Even the writer of the source material had said that NONE of the characters involved had pure motives, except for their hatred of the Soviets. Heck, the U.S. were allies with the Soviets during WWII before we turned against each other. "An enemy of my enemy is a friend" kind of thing.

[tajick]

i think it is about time that US and the west understand that helpping pakistan means helping terrorists... pakistan to this day continues to horber and help taliban directly or indirectly.

[chrisbr69]

propagada bullshit

[radamusnephew]

Charlie Wilson's War is a movie based on a real story. The movie has a clear point to make, and makes it in an entertaining and intelligent way. However, like almost every movie like this there are numerous factual errors. SO WHAT!!!!!! IT'S NOT A DOCUMENTARY and its not a complete distortion. If you want a movie to complain about rent FOX's made for TV "9/11". What a load of crap that movie was.

[dickwipidaut]

people are so dumb they also believe there was only 300 spartans fighting the persian empire

[mencken]

I wasn't meaning by my posting upstairs to disagree: I take it as read that the CIA screwed it up for the basic reason that I read about the CIA funding nutters back in 1988 when I read P.J. O'Rourkes' "Parliament of Whores". The book makes it utterly clear who they funded: he even goes into a hilarious comparison of the nutters versus the pro-Am Muj the CIA boys won't deign to fund because they consider them pussies, essentially. They called the pro-American Mujahadeen "the Gucci Front"

[HW50]

Speaking of agendas, political viewpoints and $75 million incentives what is the author's incentive? Truth and justice? Lol

A funny thing to mention incentives as if you don't have your own. You use a shattered nation and its shattered people to BS and make a name for yourself then sit back holier than thou babbling about the motives of others.

[dwack000]

"make a name for yourself then sit back holier than thou babbling about the motives of others."

Sounds like there's a lot of that going around...

[mencken]

Dude, HW50, I've seen you around enough to know you're probably one of the most self-righteous holy bastards going: I could only hope you meant it as irony to be accusing someone ELSE of holy babbling...or rather I would hope so if I thought you understood irony, which, well, not bloody likely. How can you possibly accuse others of merely questioning incentive? Jesus, it's all you DO.

[carnooba]

Tom Hanks has his agenda. He's not an obedient actor. His box office draw allows him to call a lot of shots. He has handlers and advisers. He has a political viewpoint.

Relax, HW50, neither you nor Melissa will make much difference.

Ron Paul, on the other hand ,,,,

[1arianndarien]

You are right. In fact, Hanks is one of the executive producers on this project. In 2003 I spoke with Congressman Wilson, at which time he said, "I just got back from LA. I just signed a deal with Tom Hanks."

[earthpains]

is this about usa tax payers giving somebody that hates them to go one step worse and bomb his own people?

what else is new? Americans should ignore the TV and newspapers and look on the internet for which democratic candidate would right the wrongs of policy perpetrated over the last 25 years!

A Dodds/Edwards ticket is best

[burtbg1]

goodest of the guys?

[HW50]

This Roddy woman is a self righteous bitch. She should probably mind her own f'ing business and go report on something she knows about. What does she think? The people that defeated the red army need her heroics? lol

[irpogo]

melissa is a very passionate human with a good heart.

what's great about her is she would totally support your right to your opinion and respect you for having one.

she is intelligent and mature enough to realise that issues have various sides. I have never, in my many years of knowing her, heard her ever tell someone else to mind their " own f'ing business" over any issue.

self righteousness would more aptly describe YOU, HW50.

i have a lot to learn from melissa about tact.

[HW50]

She seems more like one of those self important white bimbos who think a little too highly of their education have a delusion sense of self importance thus setting out on crusades to defend people that don't really need her. Really who is this woman to involve herself in things she doesn't know shit about? Does she think she is so mighty that Afghanistan needs her to sweep in and save the day? What a joke.

[HW50]

. I've read enough of her BS to know she doesn't know squat about Afghanistan or Afghan people- she is as unwelcome as Tom hanks. Why don't you crackers all mind your own business and fuck off? You interloping pieces of shit and your fucking opinions about things that are none of your business are exactly what Afghanistan doesn't need. I think they're rerunning Sex and the City episodes so go do what you're good at and leave people alone. Okay? Okay. Thanks

[irpogo]

hw50- when you reply to yourself more than once--it makes you look unbalanced.

FYI.

p.s please get a thesausus. your over use of "bimbo" and "fuck" sort of sad.

perhaps "douchebag' "twat" "fuck-tard" " butt-plug" "shit-for-brains" "ass-hat" "bitchasaurus" or "simp" could help spice up your dull and repetitive rants.

[1arianndarien]

You're so good to me. :) Would you be so kind as to forward this link to your list. I can't get my article to come up with I do a search for Charlie Wilson's War on yahoo. I guess I need more hits.

[dwack000]

Yeah, I don't get it. I just see someone who's brought and presented some cool info from people who know a lot more about this than we do. Listen, learn, and disagree if you want, but the other stuff is a little sad and pathetic.

[1arianndarien]

use of the term "cracker" makes me think he's not Afghan.

[HW50]

There is a limit to the number of characters allowed. Didn't you know that? It is reasonable to post twice if the room doesn't allow for all required characters.

Anyway it was only a matter of time before you people paraded your education out. Lol You're an ugly stereotype of yuppie idiocy.

[earthpains]

HW50

She seems more like one of those self important white bimbos

so if she was a different color, she'd be busy doing something else?

besides I have a right to know where my tax dollars are going.

[tacopantz]

bimbo. is that what works for you? mysoginist name calling?

keep it up--maybe no one will notice you don't know WTF you are talking about.

[1arianndarien]

You are so sweet to defend me.

[hannibaul]

HW50,

And YOU are an ignorant, stupid cocksucker. She presents commentators with knowledge and facts. This is a problem? Well, yes, if you're a NWO lackey.

Your offensive rhetoric has all the halmarks of a Mossad shill.

You've been made, dickface.

[1arianndarien]

I can't think of any reason why Mossad would wish to discredit me. Universal Studios, however, has a $75 Million motivation.

[mencken]

How utterly, simplistically absurd: you must either be childishly ignorant of studio economics (where ANY publicity, including something dishy like this, is guaranteed money in the bank: they should BANKROLL this chick) or you have a vast and touchingly naive overestimation of the value and importance of the actual truth either way (as for the Mossad thing, well, there you're quite right).

[dswynne]

The problem with your thesis is that your attempt to discredit the movie avoids the underlying issue: was it best in America's interest to fund the mujahadeen against the Soviets? Instead, you attack the premise of the film as being "fake", thus avoiding the question altogether. That is not very good scholarship on your part.

[HW50]

You're an American- likely a dumb european American too oblivious to begin to understand why this woman is obnoxious to those she writes about. She should go write books about the red faced drunks of Ireland or wherever she came from and leave others alone.

[HW50]

Millions of Afghans heroically fight and die for their country defeating the most powerful army in the world and a bunch of fat overfed white American crackers take the credit from the warmth of their comfortable TX offices. HAHAHA it is so in keeping with the character of white Americans to be so selfish greedy self important and full of utter shit to declare themselves the heroes of a war they never set foot in.

[earthpains]

HW50

bunch of fat overfed white American crackers

Hey 50 is that your IQ? Or are all you rascists that un intelligent? don't answer that I already know. people just aren't going to listen to a bigot like you whether you like  it or not!

[WhDragons]

Melissa Roddy makes a clip, criticizing, "Charlie Wilson's War", a comedy. How ignorant is that?

She then finishes up by wondering why she doesn't hear back from Tom Hanks. Probably because Hanks can't be bothered to reply to every whackaloon that contacts him.

[earthpains]

Melissa = researcher

Tom Hanks = movie star

which one has the pressure to tell the truth? the researcher of course. Tom's reputation won't be hurt if he doesn't force the Director to force the author of the script and screenplay to include everything possibly true or untrue about the subject matter in this case. It's not his problem. It's a "comedy" remember

[kidwaibhai]

the most stupidest clip ever. hikmayar did not kill more afghans than the soviet. why doesnt she mention that Mr Karzia has offered to talk to him and bring him into the fold.

[HW50]

She is a self involved white woman with her white liberal agenda. She doesn't care about the truth or justice or Afghanistan. She's going to paint a warm and fuzzy picture of Soviet scum, never mind the decades of slaughter and poverty they created. It makes the US look even shittier than they are if this creep can pretend soviets are really nice people who wanted to help Afghanistan.

[HW50]

This aids her efforts against her own shitty shit hole of a nation that she's so pissed at. May she be damned is all I have to say. She is evil and full of narcissism she doesn't care if she further victimizes Afghanistan to make a name for herself.

[tacopantz]

you obviously do not know her IRL.

she has a very giving heart and a very strong sense of social justice.

she is truly passionate and very knowledgeable on this particular subject.

she is seeing the situation in humanist shades of grey rather than your dogmatic black and white (coated in a wrapper of entitled red-white-and blue).

i notice she is also very respectful of others who disagree with her--especially interesting since y'all are so very much the opposite. what a surprise.

[irpogo]

nice work melissa. i am sure you will get a variety of comments & a range of opinions. i wish the rest of america was as well informed as you are.

and as passionate AND as pro-active.

[1arianndarien]

check it out, I'm a whackaloon! (2 comments up from you.) I think I'll get myself a shalwar qamiz, sew some ruffles along the bottom, and be a whackaloon in pantaloon(s).

[IsraeliAfghanPride]

He was a mass-murderer that brought more corruption and harm to the Afghan nation. May God continue to punish him. He was very anti-American. He hated what America stands for. He was pro-Russia and pro-Iran; basically he supported two of the United States' biggest enemies then and now. And this information is very inaccurate. He was pro-Pakistani.

[HW50]

stfu you pathetic fraud- "IsraeliAfghan" what a joke.

[IsraeliAfghanPride]

U.S.A. will crush your terrorists! Long live the land of the free! Do yourself a favor, go get an education. It'll do you good. Happy Holidays! : )

[1arianndarien]

Hi IsraeliAfghanPride. Can you tell me a little bit about your username? I find it very interesting. Also, why did you delete your first post. I thought it was very relevant and concise.

[IsraeliAfghanPride]

Hi. Well, what would you like to know? If you like to know about my ancestory, then check out the videos on my page. Thank you for the interest.  It means a lot. Atleast you're not ignorant like most of the people who reply to me. You should be proud of yourself for not being like them. Which post are you referring to?