Robin Williams entertains U.S. troops in Afghanistan

[billbuckhead]

Robin Williams entertains U.S. troops in Afghanistan

Friday, December 17, 2004 Posted: 1826 GMT (0226 HKT)


BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) -- As head of the joint chiefs of staff, Gen. Richard Myers usually doesn't have to take a back seat to anyone -- except when U.S. troops make up the audience and comedian Robin Williams is on stage.

American forces serving at Bagram air base got a little early Christmas cheer Thursday as Myers and Williams -- along with football star John Elway, model/sports commentator Leann Tweeden and comedian Blake Clark -- stopped by on a tour of American servicemen serving far from home.

The activities got off to a somber start with a groundbreaking ceremony for a coffee shop to be named after Pat Tillman, who quit the NFL to be an Army Ranger and died in a friendly-fire incident April 22.

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<http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/12/17/afghanistan.entertainers.ap/index.html>

Kudos to Williams, Elway, Francken and all those who entertain the troops.

[vpigrad]

1. Sigh

Yet another performer to boycott for supporting the illegal attack on Iraq.

[cap]

2. Robin Williams doesn't support the war

I don't think trying to give good cheer at the holiday season for a bunch of troops stuck in a miserable place is a bad thing.

[Deja Q]

3. I second your assertion.

I hadn't heard which side Mr. Williams is on... but then again, I typically don't look for intricate details of celebrities' lives.

He is most commendable.

[zbdent]

6. I attended his show in 2002 and he covered Bush

Did a comparison of Tony Blair and W. Tony the eloquent, W the yokel that drawls all over what little IQ he has.

Despite the "Robin Williams on 9/11" fake e-mail (in which the only line that could even be remotely be linked to him was the one about the Statue of Liberty no longer saying "give me your tired, your hungry, your poor . . ." but "You want a piece of me?") that has circulated, he seems to be willing enough to bash W. Not sure if he'll get much cheers from those "privelidged" enough to see him in Iraq/whatever. (Tickets here were $95 for lousy seats).

Also, remember that when Johnny Carson retired, RW compared Dan Quayle to the "Rain Man" character . . .

[mcscajun]

5. I have to agree...

...trying to bring some cheer to the troops is not a right-wing indicator.

If we really mean that we support the troops but not the war, then we have to be supportive of entertainers who do these trips, and applaud their courage.

Can you think of anything more humorously subversive than Williams doing X-rated material for our troops while their generals sit by?

on edit: Oh, and I almost forgot; what a great image it is to see Williams bare-chested in Iraq when * can't leave the house without a Kevlar vest.

[haele]

7. Many entertainers against the war still support the USO...

Al Franken is currently on his second Middle East USO tour. A few months ago, he was discussing it on his show; last time, his 'copter had been shot at as they were taking off from one of the Iraqi towns; Mosul or Samarra (can't remember). I know of very few pro-war entertainers who have the cajones to actually go to the front the way many of the anti-war entertainers do during these tours. And the troops love them, no matter what the politics of the entertainers.

The USO doesn't care about partisanship; the USO is about bringing a bit of home out to the troops. They'll take anyone who is willing to risk their lives to entertain the troops - and there have been quite a number of entertainers who take the risk to go out to just behind the front lines, or to "just pacified" areas known to be killed or injured.

These entertainers aren't spouting off nonsense from the safety of their mansions in Beverly Hills. Most of these entertainers come back with a new respect and/or understanding of what is going on over there. Quite a few that were ambivalent before going have changed their tunes to a more "what are we doing there" melody after coming back.

Except, of course, for Bruce Willis. Can't understand that guy - he must have isolated himself in the Provisional Governor's palace the whole time he was there.

Haele

[Zorro]

4. Good for Robin and company

I find it admirable for sports and entertainment figures to go to war zones to cheer up the troops. It can get lonely when you're stationed half a world away from home.