CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR – make that Charlie Wilson’s Whopper
Brief description below. For complete story go to:
http://alternet.org/story/71286
In this short by documentary filmmaker, Melissa Roddy, she counters mis-information presented in the movie CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR. The film includes interviews with first-hand participants in events surrounding the 1980s war against the Soviet Union, including Senator Gordon Humphrey (R-NH, Ret.); former Special Envoy to Afghanistan, Edmund McWilliams; Prof. Tom Johnson of the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School and CIA Chief of Station to Pakistan Milt Bearden.
The movie, CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, states only that Ahmad Shah Massoud was the recipient of U.S. istance during the 1980s.
In fact, Congressman Charlie Wilson and the CIA recklessly supported a ferociously anti-American fundamentalist – Gulbaddin Hekmatyar – during the 1980s and early 90s. Ahmad Shah Massoud received a mere trickle of U.S. support during this period, and he was well known to be the most deserving. But then — unlike Gulbaddin Hekmatyar — Ahmad Shah Massoud was never involved with Osama bin Laden. Hence the basis for the movie’s distortion.
Duration : 0:8:27
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No offense, but you …
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.
I would like to …
I would like to discuss this more with you.
This documentary is …
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.
but how amiraca …
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
who martyred masood …
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 asanited him
1 cover your mouth …
1 cover your mouth with your hand
2 make a wish into it
3 close your hand {make it into a fist}
4 hold your fist to your heart for 5 seconds
5 send? dis to 3 more videos
6 tomorrow will be your best day ever SOMETHING GOOD WILL HAPPEN TO U AT 9:10 SOMEONE WILL CALL YOU OR TALK TO YOU ONLINE AND SAY I LOVE YOU OR ASK YOU OUT BUT HERES THE CATCH Send To 3 vids
Grousers.We’ll see. …
Grousers.We’ll see….
just to let you …
just to let you know and i quote” These things happened, They were glorious and they changed the world…. and then we ed 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.
Thank you for those …
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 ured, I am not muzzled, and the world will be hearing more about this from me.
His support to …
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?
Fine! Nothing new …
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.
All stands to …
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”…
What if the book, …
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?
Here’s a concept, …
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.
You are correct …
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….
You are wrong, US …
You are wrong, US funded the Afgnan’s get a clue.
Ever heard of the fight against communism??
the people are …
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.
The only difference …
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.
Hi Norgermish,
…
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.
I know that things …
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.
Hi Melissa,
…
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.
Please consider …
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.
send me a message, …
send me a message, I’d love to talk.
fantastic work. …
fantastic work. Where can one go to contribute and help you finish this?
Thanks Jimbo. I …
Thanks Jimbo. I couldn’t agree more.