President Zia Quotes in Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Charlie Wilson: This thing is going to get done by the CIA and it's going to get done quietly.

President Zia: You have authority to do this?

Charlie Wilson: [shrugging] None what so ever.

President Zia: [Pakistani President Zia agrees to accept Israeli transfers of seized Soviet weapons to the Afghan resistance] Pakistan and Israel would have to appear to be enemies in the public eye.

Charlie Wilson: [pause] Yeah, I don't think that's a tough sell.

President Zia: Do you have the authority to do this?

Charlie Wilson: No, I'm actually in danger of breaking the Logan Act.

President Zia: ...I don't know what that is.

President Zia: I don't need courtesy. I need airplanes, guns and money.

Charlie Wilson: Well, we just doubled the CIA's budget for covert ops.

Brigadier Rashid: From five million to ten million.

Charlie Wilson: That's right!

Colonel Mahmood: Is that a joke?

Charlie Wilson: No!

Brigadier Rashid: Is that meant to be a funny joke?

Charlie Wilson: No sir!

President Zia: Congressman, what they are saying is that ten million dollars from the United States to fight the Russian army is such a low figure that it can be mistaken for a joke.

Charlie Wilson: I... I caught on to the sarcasm, sir.