{"article":{"id":257769,"heading":"Flashback to 2001: Hollywood celebrities salute Afghanistan\u2019s \u201cenduring freedom\u201d","author":"Cem Ert\u00fcr","created":"2012-12-26 20:20:49","modified":"2026-10-25 17:02:54","last_modified":"Mon, 26 Oct 2026 00:02:54","article":"
\r\n
\r\nhttp:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/flashback-to-2001-hollywood-celebrities-salute-afghanistans-enduring-freedom\/5316802
\r\n
\r\n
\r\n<\/strong>\r\nFlashback to 2001: Hollywood\r\ncelebrities salute Afghanistan’s “enduring\r\nfreedom”\r\nAngelina\r\nJolie, Julia Roberts, Matt Damon, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Andy\r\nGarcia, Tom Cruise, Jennifer Lopez support US-NATO led Wars \r\n
\r\n
\r\n
\r\nPropaganda Alert 
\r\n
\r\ncompiled by Cem Ertür<\/strong><\/div>\r\n

<\/em><\/p>\r\n

<\/em><\/p>\r\n

“Operation\r\nEnduring Freedom” is the official name used by the U.S.\r\ngovernment for its war on Afghanistan (2001-present).<\/em><\/p>\r\n

A\r\nDisturbing Fact <\/strong><\/p>\r\n

Renowned\r\nHollywood movie stars continue to support the US-NATO military\r\nadventure which has led to countless civilian deaths in the Middle\r\nEast, North Africa and Central Asia.<\/em><\/p>\r\n

It\r\nis worth noting that only three weeks before the September 11 attacks,\r\nwhich provided the justification for the invasion of\r\nAfghanistan,  Angelina Jolie visited the Jalozai Afghan\r\nrefugee camp in Pakistan. A few days later, United Nations’\r\nrefugee agency UNHCR appointed her as a ‘Goodwill\r\nAmbassador’. From June 2011, Ms.  Jolie has played a\r\nmajor role in the propaganda war against Syria by making six visits to\r\nSyrian refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and the occupied Iraq.
\r\n<\/em><\/p>\r\n

*      \r\n*       *
\r\n<\/em><\/p>\r\n

\r\nAbove: cover of People, 24 December 2001     [I]<\/em><\/p>\r\n

On October 7th, 2001 a US-led\r\ncoalition launched the invasion of Afghanistan. NATO’s\r\nIncirlik Airbase [1] in Turkey was one of the bases used in this\r\ninvasion. Two months later, five Hollywood stars paid a visit to\r\nNATO’s Incirlik Airbase to show their appreciation for U.S.\r\ntroops overseas. Immediately after the Los Angeles premiere, the cast\r\nmembers of the “Ocean’s Eleven” film left\r\nfor Turkey on a Warner Bros. chartered Boeing 757 for a special\r\nscreening for the U.S. military personnel.<\/p>\r\n

ABC News published the\r\nfollowing report ahead of their visit:<\/p>\r\n

Overseas\r\ntroops will get a Hollywood surprise from Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts,\r\nGeorge Clooney, and the other stars of the casino caper [film]\r\nOcean’s Eleven.<\/p>\r\n

“We\r\nwanted them to know how we are behind them … how we\r\ncare,” said producer Jerry Weintraub, who arranged the visit\r\nwith the help of former President George Bush [1989-1993].\r\n […]<\/div>\r\n

“We’re\r\ngoing there and eat with them and sleep there with them and bring them\r\na Christmas present. We’re going to give them a hug from\r\neverybody in America because they are out on the front lines fighting\r\nthis war for us, … and we want them to know how\r\nwe’re behind them and how we care.  […]<\/p>\r\n

We\r\nwere talking about doing a premiere in Rome or Paris and I said,\r\n‘I’ve got a great idea. We’ve got troops\r\nover there in harm’s way. Why don’t we go over\r\nthere and show it to them?’ ” Weintraub said.<\/p>\r\n

“George\r\n[Bush] jumped up and said ‘great’ and everyone came\r\non board.”  [II]<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

“Ocean’s\r\nEleven” cast members pose with U.S. troops\r\nat NATO’s Incirlik Airbase, Turkey,
\r\n7 December 2001. From left centre, standing, are Julia Roberts, Andy\r\nGarcia, director Steven
\r\nSoderbergh, producer Jerry Weintraub and, kneeling, Matt Damon and\r\nGeorge Clooney,
\r\nand Brad Pitt, standing. Most of them are wearing leather flight\r\njackets of the United States Air
\r\nForces in Europe (USAFE).<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Actress Julia Roberts poses\r\nwith a wounded soldier at the military hospital in NATO’s\r\nIncirlik
\r\nAirbase, Turkey, 7 December 2001<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Actress Julia Roberts sits in\r\nthe cockpit of an F-15 fighter jet, NATO’s Incirlik Airbase,\r\nTurkey,
\r\n7 December 2001<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Actor Brad Pitt [2] sits in the\r\ncockpit of a UK Royal Air Force (RAF) GR3A Jaguar fighter jet,
\r\nNATO’s Incirlik Airbase, Turkey, 7 December 2001<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Actors George Clooney, Andy\r\nGarcia, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon tour the 39th Air Base Wing of
\r\nthe United States Air Forces (USAF) at NATO’s Incirlik\r\nAirbase, Turkey, 7 December 2001.
\r\nIncirlik Airbase hosts the largest US nuclear arsenal outside the\r\nUnited States: some 90
\r\nthermo-nuclear B61 bombs.  [3]<\/p>\r\n

Notes
\r\n<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

[1]  Established in\r\n1955, NATO’s Incirlik Airbase has been playing a significant\r\nrole in most of the US-led wars since the end of the Cold\r\nWar:  Iraq (1991), Yugoslavia (1999), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq\r\n(2003) and Libya (2011). Furthermore, it is currently being used as a\r\ncommand centre of NATO-led covert operations against Syria. Incirlik\r\nAirbase will most probably assume a key role in the event of a NATO war\r\nagainst Syria and Iran.<\/p>\r\n

[2]  It is interesting\r\nto note that only three weeks before the September 11 attacks, which\r\nprovided the justification for the invasion of Afghanistan, Brad\r\nPitt’s current partner actress Angelina Jolie visited the\r\nJalozai Afghan refugee camp in Pakistan. A few days later, United\r\nNations’ refugee agency UNHCR appointed her as a\r\n‘Goodwill Ambassador’. From June 2011, Miss Jolie\r\nhas played a major role in the propaganda war against Syria by making\r\nsix visits to Syrian refugee camps in Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and the\r\noccupied Iraq.<\/p>\r\n

[3]  Turkey has been\r\nhosting U.S. nuclear weapons for 50 years and thus violating the\r\nNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (1970) for 42 years.<\/p>\r\n

sources:<\/strong><\/p>\r\n

[1]  Send in the\r\ntroupers<\/p>\r\n

Braving cold, mud and (mostly)\r\nno room service, showbiz’s top brass toast\r\nAmerica’s real stars<\/p>\r\n

People, 24 December 2001
\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

http:\/\/www.people.com\/people\/archive\/article\/0,,20136081,00.html<\/p>\r\n

[2] \r\n‘Ocean’s Eleven’ stars to visit troops in\r\nTurkey<\/p>\r\n

ABC News, 21 November 2001
\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n

http:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Entertainment\/story?id=101347&page=1#.UNgkuqz6Y3I<\/p>\r\n

from the archives:<\/p>\r\n

Britain’s sports\r\nstars at the service of war propaganda<\/p>\r\n

by Cem Ertür, San\r\nFrancisco Bay Area Independent Media Center, 11 November 2011<\/p>\r\n

http:\/\/www.indybay.org\/newsitems\/2011\/11\/11\/18698944.php<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\n","contact":"","link":"http:\/\/www.globalresearch.ca\/flashback-to-2001-hollywood-celebrities-salute-afghanistans-enduring-freedom\/5316802","address":"","phone":"","parent_id":0,"mime_type":"text\/html","summary":"On October 7th, 2001 a US-led coalition launched the invasion of Afghanistan. NATO\u2019s Incirlik Airbase in Turkey was one of the bases used in this invasion. Two months later, five Hollywood stars paid a visit to NATO\u2019s Incirlik Airbase to show their appreciation for U.S. troops overseas. Immediately after the Los Angeles premiere, the cast members of the "Ocean's Eleven" film left for Turkey on a Warner Bros. chartered Boeing 757 for a special screening for the U.S. military personnel.","numcomment":0,"fileurl":"\/uploads\/","filesize":null,"article_url":"\/news\/2012\/12\/257769.php"},"attachments":[],"comments":[]}