Moore on CNN: ‘No middle ground’ on Afghanistan; ‘We need to leave’

By Gavin Dahl
Friday, October 30th, 2009 -- 4:16 pm
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moore Moore on CNN: No middle ground on Afghanistan; We need to leaveFilmmaker Michael Moore told CNN's Larry King that it's time for President Barack Obama to wind down the war in Afghanistan. "It's unwinnable. It's immoral. It's illegal. It's wrong," he said. "We need to leave."

Moore appeared on the program Thursday along with another war critic, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).

"It is my sincere hope that he decides to wind down and end this war, at least our part of this war, in Afghanistan," Moore said. "Initially, the idea of going and trying to capture the criminals who committed a mass murder on 9/11, that was a good idea. But we never did that.

"There is no middle ground," he stated emphatically. "You're either going to go all out and fight a big war that can't be won, or you're going to bring the troops home and focus on the problems that we have right now -- huge unemployment, global warming, a health care mess, all these things, our educational system, everything."

Moved by Obama's attendance at the transfer of bodies at Dover Air Force Base, something President George W. Bush infamously didn't do, Moore offered hope that Obama might end the war in Afghanistan."I'm going to trust in all my heart that he's going to make the right decision," he opined.

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Yet earlier this month a senior administration official told the press, "What is not on the table, in any sense, is leaving Afghanistan or so narrowly defining our mission as to be the equivalent of leaving Afghanistan." (After Moore's appearance, Rep. Paul told King, "I don't think he's quite willing to criticize Obama like Bush, but I am.")

And although King didn't comment, Moore hammered on the scandal of CIA involvement with the opium trade there. "Yesterday, Larry, that story in The New York Times about how the brother of the president of Afghanistan, the brother of Karzai, is suspected of being involved in the opium trade, which funds the Taliban, and our CIA pays this man. So we're paying the guy who's helping to create the money that's funding the Taliban that's killing our soldiers. Are we, like, an insane country? When is this going to stop? I want this ended. I want these troops home."

Moore's latest film Capitalism: A Love Story has grossed $13 million in five weeks of release. He has now directed four of the eight highest grossing documentaries in U.S. history.

This video is from CNN's Larry King Live, broadcast Oct. 29, 2009.

Download video via RawReplay.com

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Story comments are below...

  • jimbo92107
    So, let me get this straight: My tax money goes to the CIA, which pays Karzai's brother, the drug dealer, who then pays the Taliban, which kills American troops.

    Afghani-Nam: Love it or leave it. President Obama, who ignores history is doomed to repeat it.
  • gregboz
    I am really starting to distrust Moore. He always perpetuates the big myth of 9/11 on camera, even though he sounds like a truther if you talk to him in small gatherings. In his latest movie he refused to go after Obama and Clinton. He hated the bailout, and NEVER mentioned the huge role Obama played in lobbying Congress to pass it.

    Now Moore draws an interesting conclusion... the CIA is using Karzai's brother as an asset, and Karzai's brother is a drug kingpin. Also the Taliban grow opium. Therefore Karzai's brother is helping the Taliban... what? All the different warlords, be they Taliban or pro Kabul-government grow opium. This is also not to mention that the CIA is the biggest drug dealer in the world. Moore's analysis is A) retarded or B) maniacal. Either way, don't trust 'em.
  • Stephen Martin
    I love how some of the posters here are making Michael Moore the topic. The TOPIC that CNN asked him to come on air and speak about is what to do next in Afghanistan. This is becoming the typical American way of thinking. Bring it off topic, make Michael Moore the discussion while young men and women are still dying in Afghanistan...for WHAT?!?

    I grew up in this country and so did my parents, but the more I hear Americans blather on the more I feel it's time to leave here. People don't seem to have their heads wrapped around the fact that we need to do something about AFGHANISTAN NOT FUCKING MICHAEL MOORE. Fucktards.
  • chrisinva
    >>Moore appeared on the program Thursday along with another war critic, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas).<<

    Why do we have to go elsewhere to look for Ron Paul's views on the war, and not just on Moore?
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    We hear you.
    Props Michael.

    Ventura Sheehan Perot Paul Nader McKinney Kucinich Kaptur Grayson Gravel Gonzalez Clemente Choate Carter Baldwin Anderson
  • lorn
    NPKG, I see your comments often and generally agree with you.

    On Moore we differ, but a few years ago we would have agreed. I soured on Moore for several reasons.
    First he continually (and he does it here again now) agrees with the big 911 lie and manages to work it into virtually every interview he gives.
    Second his personal manager is the brother of Rahm Emanuel. Does he follow Emanuel orders like Barack does? Yes.
    Keep your eye on Moore. He is the classic lefty gatekeeper.

    Peace.
  • Stephen Martin
    Michael Moore hardly created the topic of the show. CNN asked him to appear and be interviewed for a reason. Let's keep on topic and figure out what to do with Afghanistan. We have young Americans over there dying.
  • lorn
    The topic is Michael Moore. Did I suggest he created this CNN show? ? ? Nice straw man.

    Now back to reality. What is Moore?
    He is an establishment pawn tasked with helping fool liberals into supporting war, ignoring war and with assisting Bush Cheney and other criminal scum with getting away with the murder of 3000 Americans on 911.

    Stay on topic? Who elected you as topic czar? Obama?
  • nader paul kucinich gravel
    we read you
    time will tell
  • mcquaidLA
    Rahm Emanuel's brother is Moore's AGENT, not his manager. They're very different jobs. And while the Emanuels may be Democrats, they are hardly liberals.
  • Kristin7
    I sent a comment to the White House, tailoring the key ideas in this article: Afghan is unwinable, immoral and illegal. Everything was filled out as necessary to send a message to the White House.

    Except: type in the two word key. OK I have done that successfully on occasion. But here: NO WORDS TO TYPE AND NO PLACE TO TYPE THEM.

    Disclaimer: I have a MAC
  • gregboz
    Yes Michael, the CIA is paying Karzai's brother to grow opium, which he then funnels to the Taliban. The CIA would never be involved in drug dealing themselves, they never did that in Central America, Columbia or Vietnam. The CIA agents who were caught bringing huge amounts of cocaine into the US were all in sting operations. right?

    Michael Moore, goes against the tide, but he stops too short, and is always a bit off course.
  • farang
    Why won't this immoral occupation end? Why can't the US troops pull up the "sharpshooting" POPPIES?

    Ask the son of British M5 agent, Barrack Obama.......
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