Charlie Wilson's War quotes

View Quote You mean to tell me that the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is to have the Afghans keep walking into machine gun fire 'til the Russians run out of bullets? Joanne Herring: Why is Congress saying one thing and doing nothing?
Charlie Wilson: Well, it's tradition mostly.

View Quote A boy is given a horse on his 14th birthday. Everyone in the village says, “Oh how wonderful.” But a Zen master who lives in the village says, “We'll see.” 'The boy falls off the horse and breaks his foot. Everyone in the village says, “Oh how awful.” The Zen master says, “We'll see.” The village is thrown into war and all the young men have to go to war. But, because of the broken foot, the boy stays behind. Everyone says, “Oh, how wonderful.” The Zen master says, “We'll see.”

View Quote My loyalty? For 24 years people have been trying to kill me, people who know how. Now do you think that's because my dad was a Greek soda pop maker or because I'm an American spy? Go **** yourself, you ****ing child!

View Quote Well, there were three of them; it was like being slapped around by a Pakistani vaudeville team.

View Quote You know you've reached rock bottom when you're told you have character flaws by a man who hanged his predecessor in a military coup.

View Quote Charlie Wilson: Gosh, Joanne, it's great to hear from you. Could I possibly call you back in just a little bit?
Joanne Herring: Is Ronald Reagan in your bedroom right now?
Charlie Wilson: No.
Joanne Herring: Then I'm considerably more important than whoever is.

View Quote Charlie Wilson: Well, should we try this scotch or is it going to release sarin gas when I open it?
Gust Avrakotos: Ah, I don't think so — but open it over there.

View Quote Charlie Wilson: You mean to tell me that the U.S. strategy in Afghanistan is to have the Afghans keep walking into machine gun fire 'til the Russians run out of bullets?
Gust Avrakotos: That's Harold Holt's strategy, it's not U.S. strategy.
Charlie Wilson: What is U.S. strategy?
Gust Avrakotos: Well strictly speaking, we don't have one. But we're working hard on that.
Charlie Wilson: Who's 'we'?
Gust Avrakotos: Me and three other guys.

Joanne Herring: I talk about God for one simple reason. We need him on our side.
Charlie Wilson: Well, what I think's got Gust worried .... is that sooner or later God is gonna be on both sides.

View Quote Charlie Wilson: You're no James Bond.
Gust Avrakotos: You're no Thomas Jefferson, so let's call it even.

View Quote Comment about Muhammad Zia ul-Haq, who had deposed Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

View Quote Comment on his meeting with Muhammad Zia ul-Haq and two senior staff.

View Quote Questioning the firing of 3000 first generation and second generation American spies.

View Quote Thats how a cold war turns into a real war and that's something you want to keep a very good eye on.

View Quote These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we ****ed up the end game.