Comments on: More on Charlie Wilson’s War

By: PlealkEnara

PlealkEnara — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:04:52 +0000

hey !!
its very unconventional point of view.
Nice post.
realy gj

thx

By: patrick

patrick — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 16:27:35 +0000

Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts are a classic combination… Charlie Wilson’s War made me feel a little better about U.S. foreign intervention, it seemed to work out that time

By: nunya

nunya — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 04:49:52 +0000

Larry, what do you mean by saying that Chalmers Johnson is grinding an axe?

Are you saying that there were no Arabs fighting with the Afghans in Afghanistan against the Soviets in the 80’s? Or that no stingers were directly handed over to Arab jhadis?

Is this grinding an axe?

http://www.tomdispatch.com/p/chalmers_video

Or is someone who spent years as an educator trying to educate?

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:31:38 +0000

Now I could brag that CIA-man I have a discussion with was

1)informative
2)argumentative
3)polite

But, after all, CIA modus operandi is NOT a free discussion LOL

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:09:59 +0000

Zzzzzz…

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:09:28 +0000

Zzzzzzzz….

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:02:26 +0000

“saving” Afghans from USSR, sorry for error

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:00:55 +0000

As a matter of fact, there was NOT “one man could manipulate our government so easily into something that could have turned into a horrible disaster”

“In its effort to lionize Charlie Wilson as the savior of the Afghan people, who are scarcely present, the film omits a few inconvenient facts. The maverick congressman came onto the scene well after the Democratic administration of Jimmy Carter had decided to give financial and military support to the Islamicists engaged in guerilla warfare against the Soviet-backed regime in Kabul, which had come to power in a military coup in 1978. This preceded the Soviet invasion of the country in 1979.

The Carter regime, which hoped a war in Afghanistan would be the USSR’s Vietnam, began funding and arming the most right-wing fundamentalists, the ideological ancestors of the Taliban and Osama bin Laden.” (http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jan2008/char-j12.shtml)

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:53:30 +0000

Sorry, I did NOT see Matrix, I prefer Iranian cinema, so I cannot get the hint. But, if somebody is interested, here it is about USA bomblets http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/cluster-bck1031.htm
“A key United Nations clearance expert has expressed concern about the similarity of the coloring of the yellow BLU-97/B cluster bomblets and the small yellow food aid parcels being airdropped in Afghanistan, noting that people are being encouraged to pick up the food parcels, but that picking up a bomblet would be lethal. He said, “Our experience in Kosovo showed us that children and youths were highly susceptible to the submunitions…. It is highly likely that many in Afghanistan will not know the difference between aerially delivered food aid and aerially delivered munitions.” BBC Worldwide Monitoring reported that U.S. Psychological Operations units broadcast a radio message warning Afghan civilians of the similar yellow color of the cluster bomblets and the food packages, noting that cluster bombs will not be dropped in areas where food is air-dropped but stating, “[W]e do not wish to see an innocent civilian mistake the bombs for food bags and take it away believing that it might contain food.”"

As I said, first they bombed, then they warned. How nice, very unlike those evil Russians.

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:47:49 +0000

Oh, sure, when I say that CIA is a dirty body which murders, tortures and topple democratic rulers, it means I hate USA LOL

And when I reminded about some not nice facts regarding CIA “saving” Afghans from USA, I got such informative answer. “You shall know the truth and truth’ll set you free”, is it not?

By: Mary

Mary — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:33:51 +0000

I read this book when it first came out. After all these years I remember few real details. However three things stand out in my mind. 1 being APPALLED at how one man could manipulate our government so easily into something that could have turned into a horrible disaster. 2 Feeling very sorry for the CIA person who was constantly over run by Charlie. And 3 how ironic that the biggest maimer and killer of our men and women in Iraq was developed by the CIA for Charlie to use against the Russians. God save us from “cowboys”.

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:04:01 +0000

A red pill moment from the Matrix, sponsored by???

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 11:02:39 +0000

Well, you must be very grateful that you are not an American. I can see it would be very depressing for you to be part of such a hateful, terrible nation that has absolutely no redeeming qualities whatsoever. One only wishes that the entire world could be like that perfect place, that perfect people, that you are part of. Cheers!

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:35:30 +0000

by the way, the tale about USSR-made bombs for murdering Afghan kids reminded me about VERY REAL cluster bomblets looking very much like food packages (you see, USA is such wonderfull invader, it droped food at the same time it droped bombs)

By: lidia

lidia — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:28:04 +0000

No, I am not an American, and please, could it be that kind-hearted CIA would not have to “save Afghans’ lives” from USSR if the same CIA (on behalf of USA prez and Brzezinski) were NOT founding future Al-Qaida to “trap” USSR in Afghanistan. Afghans were just used as a bait for CIA hunt - a very nice of CIA, sure, and to count how much of them were murdered, tortured or simple starved to death as a result - and STILL are- yes, I am sure Afghans are VERY greatfull.

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:16:06 +0000

Actually, the answer can be found on that very website, as Dr. Hillhouse is a true scholar of the topic. The short answer is that when Congress authorized a massive expansion of the Agency post-9/11, they only authorized so-called “green” or program (i.e., contractor) dollars instead of “blue” or personal services (i.e., employee) dollars and positions. Thus, contractors were used for the expansion, resulting in the rough 70/30 workforce split.

CIA employes and executives are still responsible for command and control of the operations, however, and thus bear the brunt of things going wrong. The rough analogy would be McDonald’s contracting out its order-taking process to a remote subcontractor (which some of them do). It may be a contractor that is responsible for screwing up your Big Mac and ordering the grill man to make you a fish sandwich, but you still blame McDonald’s for the screw up.

By: Montag

Montag — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:14:27 +0000

Shirin,
When the U.S. Civil War started Sam Houston warned his fellow Southerners that the war wouldn’t be a walk in the park. They foolishly thought that the Yankees would give up after a few setbacks. Houston warned them that while Yankees were slower to anger than Southerners, once they got mad they STAYED mad.

Well, in 1862 the Union fought the disastrous Battle of Fredricksburg, in which Union soldiers were mowed down in rows to no effect. The Confederates on the heights above were well pleased with the day’s work, figuring–yet again–that a few more such bloody noses would have the Yankees ready to concede Southern Independence. Then from below came a sound that made them gasp in astonishment–the Yankees were SINGING! Proudly, defiantly, they were singing “The Battle Hymn of The Republic.” They were going to keep coming on until they won.

Now if Americans are capable of misjudging our own countrymen like that, why should our track record with actual FOREIGNERS be any better? People will always believe what they want to believe–until they’re hit over the head with reality.

By: TeakWoodKite

TeakWoodKite — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 06:00:21 +0000

Retired: How is it that 70% of CIA operations have been farmed out* and folks still use it as pinata?

* Thespywhobilledme

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:56:05 +0000

Oh, by the way. If you are an American, to give credit where credit is due, it was your tax dollars that paid for my labor, the parts for the mine detection kits, and the shipping costs. I’m sure that the Afghans whose lives were saved by your money are grateful.

By: Retired

Retired — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 05:51:45 +0000

Retired has built and sent mine detection kits to Afghanistan so as to help Afghans detect explosive devices that the Soviets and their surrogates concealed in attractive toys. The idea was that Afghan children would find said toys and take them home so as to kill their rebelious parents (along with the kids, of course). I’m sure that you and Dr. Johnson would object to this activity as “imperialsm,” if, in fact you had been aware of it at all. Funny how this didn’t make it into his supposedly thorogh treatise on how horrible CIA and America was/is.