Charlie Wilson's War
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Mike Nichols
Produced by	Tom Hanks
Written by	George Crile (book) Aaron Sorkin (screenplay)
Starring	Tom Hanks Julia Roberts Philip Seymour Hoffman Amy Adams Ned Beatty Om Puri
Music by	James Newton Howard
Cinematography	Stephen Goldblatt
Editing by	John Bloom
Distributed by	Universal Pictures Playtone
Release date(s)	December 21, 2007
Running time	100 min.
Country	United States
Language	English Dari Urdu Russian
Budget	$75 million
Official website
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 Academy Award-nominated biographical drama film based on the true story of Democratic Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who conspired with a "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos to launch an operation to help the Afghan mujahideen resist and ultimately defeat the Soviet Union's military occupation of the nation. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky) is an Academy Award winning movie director of films such as The Graduate and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He was born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, to a Jewish Russian family. ... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... George Crile with Charlie Wilson in Afghanistan George Crile III (March 5, 1945 - May 15, 2006) was a United States journalist. ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... This article is about the actress. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Om Puri, OBE (Honorary) (born October 18, 1950 in Ambala, Haryana, India) is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Bollywood films as well as art films. ... This article is about James Howard, the composer. ... Stephen Goldblatt is an Oscar nominated cinematographer. ... Universal Pictures is the main motion picture production/distribution arm of Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC Universal. ... The Playtone Company is an American film and television production company and record label established by actor Tom Hanks and producer Gary Goetzman. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Dari (Persian: ) is the official name for the Persian language spoken in Afghanistan[1] and is a synonymous term for Parsi]. // There are different opinions about the origin of the word Dari. ... The phrase Zaban-e Urdu-e Mualla written in Urdu Urdu () is an Indo-European language of the Indo-Aryan family that developed under Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Hindi, and Sanskrit influence in South Asia during the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal Empire (1200-1800). ... Russian ( , transliteration: , Russian pronunciation: ) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages, and the largest native language in Europe. ... 2007 has been referred to, by film and media critics, as the year of the threequels, a nickname referring to both the 2004 summer movie season and several film franchises which premiered or had installments released in 2004, which appear again this year: Spider-Man 3, Shrek the Third, Ocean... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... For other uses, see Drama (disambiguation). ... This article is about motion pictures. ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  Politics Portal      Further information: Politics of the United States#Organization of American political parties The Democratic... For other uses, see Texas (disambiguation). ... CIA redirects here. ... Gust L. Avrakotos (1938 – December 1, 2005) was a secret agent for the United States Central Intelligence Agency. ... Ethnic groups of Afghanistan (1980 map)  42% Pashtun  27% Tajik  9% Hazara  9% Uzbek         3% Turkmen  2% Baloch        Languages of Afghanistan (1980 map)  50% Dari dialect of Persian  35% Pashto  8% Uzbek  3% Turkmen  2% Baloch        The Demographics of Afghanistan are ethnically and linguistically mixed. ... Mujahideen (Arabic: ‎, , literally strugglers) is a term for Muslims fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle. ... Belligerents DRA USSR Mujahideen of Afghanistan Commanders Soviet 40th Army: Sergei Sokolov Valentin Varennikov Boris Gromov DRA: Babrak Karmal Mohammad Najibullah Abdul Rashid Dostum Abdul Haq Jalaluddin Haqqani Gulbuddin Hekmatyar Ismail Khan Ahmad Shah Massoud Strength Soviet forces: 80,000-104,000 Afghan forces: 329,000 (in 1989)[1] 45...

The film is adapted from George Crile's 2003 book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History.^[1] It is directed by Mike Nichols, written by Aaron Sorkin, and stars Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, and Ned Beatty. It was nominated for five Golden Globe Awards, including "Best Motion Picture", but did not win in any category. Phillip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for an Academy Award for "Best Supporting Actor," the film's only Oscar nomination, but did not win in the category. George Crile with Charlie Wilson in Afghanistan George Crile III (March 5, 1945 - May 15, 2006) was a United States journalist. ... Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky) is an Academy Award winning movie director of films such as The Graduate and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He was born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, to a Jewish Russian family. ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... This article is about the actress. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ...

Synopsis

Wilson is seen cavorting decadently in a Las Vegas hot tub among naked women and implied drug use when he catches a "60 Minutes" TV broadcast showing Dan Rather reporting remotely from Afghanistan and in full native dress. Rather (via original footage) is shown reporting on the struggles of the Afghan resistance, primarily the mujahideen, with not only the Soviet invasion, but with wholly inadequate equipment and weapons. This moves Wilson to look into matters further and upon finding how little the United States was doing to help the Afghan fighters, he uses his Congressional position on two important defense committees to summarily double the U.S. assistance from a paltry $5 million to a slightly less paltry $10 million. This article is about the CBS news magazine. ... Daniel Irvin Rather, Jr. ... Mujahideen (Arabic: ‎, , literally strugglers) is a term for Muslims fighting in a war or involved in any other struggle. ...

The film shows the liberal Wilson having a very gregarious social life of women and partying, including having his congressional office staffed with young, attractive women. The film also shows how the partying causes a federal investigation into allegations of cocaine use by Wilson, conducted by then Federal prosecutor Rudy Giuliani as part of a larger investigation into congressional misconduct. The investigation results in no charges against Wilson. For other uses, see Cocaine (disambiguation). ... Rudolph William Louis Giuliani III, (born May 28, 1944) is an American lawyer, prosecutor, businessman, and Republican politician from the state of New York. ...

A staunchly conservative, anti-communist friend and romantic interest, Joanne Herring, encourages Wilson to do more to help the Afghans, and persuades Wilson to visit the Pakistani leadership. The Pakistanis complain about the inadequate support of the U.S. to oppose the Soviets, and they insist that Wilson visit a major Pakistan-based Afghan refugee camp. Deeply moved by their misery and determination to fight, Wilson is frustrated by the regional CIA personnel's insistence on a low key approach against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Wilson returns home to lead an effort to substantially increase funding to the mujahideen. Anti-communism is opposition to communist ideology, organization, or government, on either a theoretical or practical level. ... Joanne Herring (born Joanne Johnson on July 3, 1929) is a Houston socialite, philantropist, businesswoman, and former talk show host. ... bjhgfshudgfgbfsfas Refugee camp for Rwandans located in what is now the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo following the Rwandan Genocide A camp in Guinea for refugees from Sierra Leone. ...

As part of this effort, Wilson befriends the maverick CIA operative Gust Avrakotos and his understaffed Afghanistan group to find a better strategy, especially including a means to counter the Soviets' formidable gunship helicopter air support. As a result, Wilson's deft political bargaining for the necessary funding and Avrakotos' group's careful planning using those resources, such as supplying the guerrillas with FIM-92 Stinger missile launchers, turns the Soviet occupation into a deadly quagmire with their heavy fighting vehicles being destroyed at a crippling rate. The CIA's anti-communism budget evolves from $5 million to over $500 million, startling several congressmen. This effort by Wilson ultimately evolves into a major portion of the U.S. foreign policy known as the Reagan Doctrine, under which the U.S. expanded assistance beyond just the mujahideen and began also supporting other anti-communist resistance movements around the world. Many now credit the policy with contributing to the ultimate collapse of the Soviet Union and global communism, bringing about the end of the Cold War.^[2] This same policy however supported right-wing regimes and death squads in Latin America through the 1980s. This aspect is not dealt with in the film. Gust L. Avrakotos (1938 – December 1, 2005) was a secret agent for the United States Central Intelligence Agency. ... The term gunship is used in several contexts, all sharing the general idea of a light vessel armed with heavy guns. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... Close air support (often abbreviated CAS) is the use of military aircraft in a ground attack role against targets in close proximity to friendly troops, in support of ground combat operations. ... The FIM-92 Stinger is a personal portable infrared homing surface-to-air missile developed in the United States and used by all the U.S. armed services, with whom it entered service in 1981. ... The Reagan Doctrine was a strategy orchestrated and implemented by the United States to oppose the global influence of the Soviet Union during the final years of the Cold War. ... This article is about the form of society and political movement. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... // A death squad is an armed squad of men that kills civilians. ...

However, there is some foreshadowing and summary of the long-term implications of support for figures such as Osama bin Laden in the film, which presents Wilson as essentially a flawed hero. Avrakotos warns that, despite the victory, unless there is a serious effort to help Afghanistan rebuild back into a stable society, there could be dire and unpredictable repercussions for both that nation and the U.S. In the film, Avrakotos issues the warning to Wilson as a subtle sound of an airplane flies over Wilson's Washington, D.C. high rise, likely implying a probable connection between the inaction and the September 11, 2001 attacks, though no definitive statement on this is made until the film's conclusion, which includes a statement by Wilson that the Afghan "end-game" war was mishandled. Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly...

Wilson follows Avrakotos' guidance to seek support for post-Soviet occupation Afghanistan, but finds almost no enthusiasm in the U.S. government for even the modest measures he proposes. The film ends with Wilson receiving a major commendation for the support of the U.S. clandestine services, but his pride is tempered by his fears of what unintended consequences his secret efforts could yield in the future and the implications of U.S. disengagement from Afghanistan. Blowback is a term now broadly used in espionage to describe the unintended consequences of covert operations. ...

Cast

• Tom Hanks as Representative Charlie Wilson (b. 1933–)
• Julia Roberts as Joanne Herring (b. 1929–)
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos (1938–2005)
• Ned Beatty as Doc Long (1908–1994)
• Om Puri as President Zia-Ul-Haq (1924–1988)
• Amy Adams as Bonnie Bach
• Emily Blunt as Jane Liddle
• Shiri Appleby as Jailbait (Congressional staffer)
• Rachel Nichols as Suzanne
• Christopher Denham as Michael G. Vickers (b. 1953–)
• Ken Stott as Zvi

Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Joanne Herring (born Joanne Johnson on July 3, 1929) is a Houston socialite, philantropist, businesswoman, and former talk show host. ... Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Gust L. Avrakotos (1938 – December 1, 2005) was a secret agent for the United States Central Intelligence Agency. ... Ned Thomas Beatty (born July 6, 1937) is an Academy Award-nominated American character actor. ... Dr. Clarence Dickinson Long (December 11, 1908—September 18, 1994), a democrat, was a U.S. Congressman who represented the 2nd congressional district of Maryland from January 3, 1963 to January 3, 1985. ... Om Puri, OBE (Honorary) (born October 18, 1950 in Ambala, Haryana, India) is an Indian actor who has appeared in both mainstream Bollywood films as well as art films. ... Gen. ... Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an Academy Award-nominated American film and television actress. ... Emily Olivia L. Blunt (born February 23, 1983) is a Golden Globe Award-winning English actress best known for her work in the films My Summer of Love and her appearance as Emily Charlton in The Devil Wears Prada and she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture on... Shiri Freda Appleby (born December 7, 1978) is an American actress. ... For other uses, see Jailbait (disambiguation). ... Rachel Nichols in Dumb & Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd Rachel Emily Nichols (born January 8, 1980) is an American actress, currently known for her film work and for her portrayal of CIA agent Rachel Gibson on the ABC television series Alias. ... Kenneth Campbell Stott (born 1955, Edinburgh) is a Scottish film and television actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in the latter medium. ...

Release and reception

The film was originally set for release on December 25, 2007; on November 30, 2007, however, the timetable was moved up to December 21, 2007. As of February 15, 2008, the film has made $66,321,000 domestically and $26,250,609 overseas for a worldwide total of $92,571,609. is the 359th day of the year (360th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 46th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Charlie Wilson's War received generally favorable reviews from critics. As of January 21, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 82% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 163 reviews.^[3] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 69 out of 100, based on 39 reviews.^[4] is the 21st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ...

Governmental criticism and praise

Some Reagan-era officials, including former Under Secretary of Defense Fred Ikle, have criticized components of the film. The Washington Times reported some have claimed the film wrongly promotes the notion that the CIA-led operation funded Osama bin Laden and ultimately produced the September 11, 2001 attacks.^[5] Other Reagan-era officials, however, have been more supportive of the film. Michael Johns, the former Heritage Foundation foreign policy analyst and speechwriter to President George H. W. Bush, praised the film as "the first mass-appeal effort to reflect the most important lesson of America's Cold War victory: that the Reagan-led effort to support freedom fighters resisting Soviet oppression led successfully to the first major military defeat of the Soviet Union." "Sending the Red Army packing from Afghanistan," Johns wrote, "proved one of the single most important contributing factors in one of history's most profoundly positive and important developments."^[6] Dr. Fred Charles Ikle is a Distinguished Scholar with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. ... For the newspaper founded in 1893 by William Randolph Hearst, see Washington Times-Herald. ... The CIA Seal The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an American intelligence agency, responsible for obtaining and analyzing information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and reporting such information to the various branches of the U.S. Government. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... A sequential look at United Flight 175 crashing into the south tower of the World Trade Center The September 11, 2001 attacks (often referred to as 9/11—pronounced nine eleven or nine one one) consisted of a series of coordinated terrorist[1] suicide attacks upon the United States, predominantly... Michael Johns (born September 8, 1964 in Allentown, Pennsylvania) is an American health care executive, former federal government of the United States official and conservative policy analyst and writer. ... The Heritage Foundation is one of the most prominent conservative think tanks in the United States. ... George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12, 1924) was the 41st President of the United States, serving from 1989 to 1993. ...

Connections to September 11

George Crile, author of Charlie Wilson's War, the book on which the film is based, wrote that the mujahideen's victory in Afghanistan ultimately opened a power vacuum for bin Laden: "By the end of 1993, in Afghanistan itself there were no roads, no schools, just a destroyed country -- and the United States was washing its hands of any responsibility. It was in this vacuum that the Taliban and Osama bin Laden would emerge as the dominant players. It is ironic that a man who had had almost nothing to do with the victory over the Red Army, Osama bin Laden, would come to personify the power of the jihad."^[7] George Crile with Charlie Wilson in Afghanistan George Crile III (March 5, 1945 - May 15, 2006) was a United States journalist. ...

The news website AlterNet released a critical article claiming that the film "toned down" ties to 9/11.^[8] The article claims that Wilson believed Ahmad Shah Massoud to be a "Russian collaborator" and that the film falsely shows Massoud receiving the majority of the aid. AlterNet asserts that Gulbuddin Hekmatyar was actually the primary recipient (about 40%), despite the fact that he was known to have killed Afghan civilians. Support for Hekmatyar is claimed to be attributable to the controversial U.S. decision by the CIA to permit Pakistan to distribute the aid (something which is acknowledged in the film).^[9] They allege that these facts were included in an earlier script but later dropped from it.^[10] The article also criticizes the film of catering to Pakistani views on Afghani tribalism, which they attribute largely to the real Charlie Wilson's former position as a Pakistani lobbyist.^[11] Ahmad Shah Massoud(Persian: ) (c. ... Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (born 1947) Islamist Mujahideen leader and warlord. ...

While the film depicts Wilson as an immediate advocate for supplying the mujahideen with Stinger missiles, a former Reagan administration official recalls that he and Wilson, while advocates for the mujahideen, were actually initially "lukewarm" on the idea of supplying these missiles. Their opinion changed after they discovered that rebels were successful in downing Soviet gunships with them.^[12] As such, they were actually not supplied until the second Reagan administration term, in 1987, and their provision was mostly advocated by Reagan defense officials and influential conservatives.^[13][14][15] Dates supplied on the film seem to reflect an accurate recounting of the provision of these missiles.

Home video

The movie is expected to be released on DVD on April 22, 2008; a DVD version and a HD DVD/DVD combo version will be available. The extras include a making of featurette and a "Who is Charlie Wilson?" featurette, which profiles the real Charlie Wilson and features interviews with him and with Tom Hanks, Joanne Herring, Aaron Sorkin and Mike Nichols. The HD DVD/DVD combo version will also include additional exclusive content.^[16] is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... HD-DVD disc HD DVD (for High Density Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical media format which is being developed as one standard for high-definition DVD. HD DVD is similar to the competing Blu-ray Disc, which also uses the same CD sized (120 mm diameter) optical data... Several notable people are called Charles Wilson: Charles Wilson (politician) is a US Congressman Charles Wilson (physicist) was a 19th Century physicist Charles Wilson (historian) Charles Wilson (Montreal mayor) was the first elected mayor of Montreal in the 19th century Charles A. Charlie Wilson Jr. ... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Joanne Herring (born Joanne Johnson on July 3, 1929) is a Houston socialite, philantropist, businesswoman, and former talk show host. ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... Mike Nichols (born Michael Igor Peschkowsky) is an Academy Award winning movie director of films such as The Graduate and Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. He was born on November 6, 1931 in Berlin, to a Jewish Russian family. ...

Historical context

Wilson has since recounted that, "I always, always, whenever a plane goes down, I always fear it is one of our missiles. Most of all I wanted to bloody the Red Army. I think the bloodying thereof had a great deal to do with the collapse of the Soviet Union."^[17] He now surmises that some of the weapons probably would up in the hands of the Taliban regime that took over and is now harboring Saudi fugitive Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in the Sept. 11 attacks on America. "I feel guilty about it," he said. "I really do." "Those things happen," Wilson said of wartime weapons that wind up in the wrong hands. "How are you going to defeat the Red Army without a gun? You can't blame the Marines for teaching Lee Harvey Oswald how to shoot." Wilson, who did not seek re-election to Congress in 1996 after serving 24 years, now believes he could have worked harder to steer Afghanistan away from the course that led it to today. "The part that I'll take to my grave with guilt is that . . . I didn't stay the course and stay there and push and drive the other members of Congress nuts pushing for a mini-Marshall Plan," he said. "And I let myself be frustrated and discouraged by the fact that (the Afghani) leadership was so fragmented that we were unable to do the things we needed to do, like clear the mines, like furnish them millions of tons of fertilizer to be able to replant the crops." For other organizations known as the Red Army, see Red Army (disambiguation). ... The Taliban (Pashto: , also anglicized as Taleban) are a Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement [2] that ruled most of Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001, when their leaders were removed from power by a cooperative military effort between the Northern Alliance, United States, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. ... Osama bin Muhammad bin Awad bin Laden (Arabic: ‎; born March 10, 1957[1]), most often mentioned as Osama bin Laden or Usama bin Laden, is a Saudi Arabian militant Islamist and is widely believed to be one of the founders of the organization called al-Qaeda. ... The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ...

The interventionist policy of aiding anti-communist resistance forces in Afghanistan enjoyed considerable bipartisan support in the U.S. However, while Wilson was a Democrat, the policy's broader and highly controversial application around the world, in Angola, Cambodia, Nicaragua and other nations, was largely opposed by U.S. Democrats. Some have argued that the policy was mostly a creation of the conservative Heritage Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, whose foreign policy experts visited these forces and advocated support for them. However it should be noted that both political parties have attempted to claim responsibility for the Soviet defeat and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union. In either case, the policy was later embraced by Reagan administration foreign policy and defense officials, who escalated conflict with these Soviet-supported governments. Jimmy Carter, who had already served his term previous to Reagan, distanced himself from the policy's broader application and was a vocal opponent of U.S. aid to these "nation building" movements. Congressional Democrats also largely opposed the broader application of the Reagan Doctrine.^[18] Interventionism is a term for a policy of non-defensive (proactive) activity undertaken by a nation-state, or other geo-political jurisdiction of a lesser or greater nature, to manipulate an economy or society. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Conservative may refer to: Conservatism, political philosophy A member of a Conservative Party Conservative extension, premise of deductive logic Conservativity theorem, mathematical proof of conservative extension Conservative Judaism britney spears Category: ... The Heritage Foundation is one of the most prominent conservative think tanks in the United States. ... For other uses, see Washington, D.C. (disambiguation). ... The United States Presidency of Ronald Reagan, also known as the Reagan Administration, lasted from 1981 until 1989 and was conservative, steadfastly anti-communist, employed a foreign policy of “peace through strength,” and favored tax cuts and smaller government. ... For other persons named Jimmy Carter, see Jimmy Carter (disambiguation). ...

Carter's National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski has stated that the U.S. effort to aid the mujahideen was preceded by an effort to draw the Soviets into a costly and presumably distractive Vietnam War-like conflict. In a 1998 interview with the French news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur, Brzezinski recalled: "We didn't push the Russians to intervene, but we knowingly increased the probability that they would... That secret operation was an excellent idea. It had the effect of drawing the Soviets into the Afghan trap... The day that the Soviets officially crossed the border, I wrote to President Carter, "We now have the opportunity of giving to the Soviet Union its Vietnam War."^[19][20] Zbigniew Kazimierz Brzezinski (born March 28, 1928, Warsaw, Poland) is a Polish-American political scientist, geostrategist, and statesman. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Le Nouvel Observateur (often shorten to Le Nouvel Obs) is a weekly French newsmagazine. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000...

Awards and nominations

Nominations

• 65th Golden Globe Awards^[21]
  • Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical (Tom Hanks)
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture (Julia Roberts)
  • Best Screenplay - Motion Picture (Aaron Sorkin)

• 80th Academy Awards
  • Best Supporting Actor (Philip Seymour Hoffman)

65th Golden Globe Awards January 13, 2008 Picture - Drama: Picture - Musical or Comedy: TV Series - Drama: TV Series - Musical or Comedy: Miniseries or TV Movie: The 65th Golden Globe Awards, honouring the best in film and television of 2007, will be given by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association on 13... Thomas Jeffrey Tom Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is a two-time Academy Award-, two-time Emmy-, four-time Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning American film actor, director, voice-over artist, writer and film producer. ... Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ... Julia Fiona Roberts (born October 28, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American film actress and former fashion model. ... Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer and playwright. ... The 80th Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best in film for 2007, was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p. ... Philip Seymour Hoffman (born July 23, 1967) is an Academy Award-winning American actor. ...

Status in Russia

In early February it became known that the film would not play in Russian theaters. The rights for the film were bought by Universal Pictures International (UPI) Russia. It was speculated that the film would not appear because of a certain point of view that depicted the USSR unfavorably. UPI Russia head Yevgeny Beginin denied that, saying, "We simply decided that the film would not make a profit." Reaction from Russian bloggers, who had seen the film on pirated DVDs, was negative. One wrote: "The whole film shows Russians, or rather Soviets, as brutal killers."^[22][23]

See also

• Howard Hart
• Milton Bearden
• Operation Cyclone

Howard Hart is a former American CIA officer. ... Milton Bearden is a retired Central Intelligence Agency officer and author. ... Operation Cyclone was the code name for the US CIA program to arm Islamic mujahideen during the Soviet war in Afghanistan, 1979-1989. ...

References

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Metacritic is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows, DVDs and books. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the newspaper founded in 1893 by William Randolph Hearst, see Washington Times-Herald. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... For the newspaper founded in 1893 by William Randolph Hearst, see Washington Times-Herald. ... is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... The United States Department of State, often referred to as the State Department, is the Cabinet-level foreign affairs agency of the United States government, equivalent to foreign ministries in other countries. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 347th day of the year (348th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 350th day of the year (351st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Official Site of Charlie Wilson's War
• Charlie Wilson's War at the Internet Movie Database
• Charlie Wilson's War at Rotten Tomatoes
• Charlie Wilson's War at Metacritic
• Charlie Wilson's War at Box Office Mojo
• Charlie Wilson's War at Allmovie
• Charlie Wilson's War downloadable trailer.
• Charlie Wilson's War high definition trailer.
• Charlie Wilson's War streaming trailer.
• "Tom Hanks Tells Hollywood Whopper in Charlie Wilson's War", AlterNet, December 21, 2007.
• Former Congressman Les AuCoin's movie review & essay on the real Charlie Wilson. [2]