February 20, 2008
Both the book and movie Charlie Wilson’s War glorify the “colorful,” liberal, Democratic congressman’s successful crusade to bludgeon the reluctant, neoconservative Reagan administration into dramatically escalating funding, arming, and training of radical Islamists fighting against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan.
Although the zestful life and escapades of Wilson make for an entertaining and true-to-(Wilson’s)-life movie, both the book and movie give short shrift to the dire, long-term policy consequences of Wilson’s and Reagan’s proxy war.
1 comment:
The birth of the Frankenstein radical Islamist movement and it's never ending blow-back wasn't the only disastrous consequence of American intervention in Afghanistan. Nuclear non-proliferation was another, less noted, casualty.
In order to appease the corrupt military dictatorship in Pakistan and keep the ISI on the anti-Soviet team, the U.S. turned a blind eye, and in many cases enabled the nuclear efforts of the A.Q. Khan network. This complicity came back to haunt us when the Pakistanis eventually began exporting nuclear technology to other rogue regimes.
We have paid a very steep price, on many fronts, for our little Afghan adventure and will likely continue to pay for a great deal longer
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