It was intended to stop Taliban's violent enforcement of the ban on opium poppies
Deal
The $245M was inteded for sending Humanitarian aid
Reducing the Gun homicides
Stabilizing the government
Coping with Taliban's violent actions.
Education
Humanitarian aid
What was the $245 Million in aid to the Taliban intended to be used for?
Gun homicides
The United States Homicide Rate (Both Gun and Non-Gun)
Humanitarian aid comparisons
Violent crime
Opium
The film about his website
Poverty comparisons
For what topic does Michael Moore fail to cite his sources?
Robert Scheer
Michael Moore
Robert Scheer and Michael Moore
George W. Bush
Saddam Hussein
What author warned aiding of the Taliban?
Warlords
Robert Scheer
The Iraqi government continued selling Opium
Taliban
American
Saddam Hussein
Who continued selling opium in spite of the deal?
300 million dollars
US government gave 2001 million dollars to the new evildoers du jour
$245 Million
240 million
500 million dollars
11 million dollars
US government gave how much money to new evildoers du jour?
Iran
The Taliban
Iraq's Saddam Hussein
Michael Moore
Countries
Who are the "evildoers du jour" that received $245 Million from the US Government?
Taliban and American aid. After the September 11 attacks, it was necessary for conservatives to somehow explain away the fact that the US government gave 245 million dollars to the new evildoers du jour. Never mind the fact that authors such as Robert Scheer warned of aiding the Taliban as early as in May 2001. Never mind that they did so not out of some humanitarian motivation, but because of the Taliban's violent enforcement of the ban on opium poppies. Never mind that in a regime that is controlled by warlords, it does not matter who is authorized to distribute the aid -- the ruling regional warlords will seize control of it and use it to their own advantage. Never mind that this very argument has been used by hawks in opposition to sending humanitarian aid to Iraq's Saddam Hussein. Never mind that the Taliban continued selling opium in spite of the deal. Never mind that this is all documented on Michael Moore's website about the film. Gun homicides. Statistics are Moore's weakest point, and it is surprising that his critics don't dwell on them longer. That's because they know all too well that Moore is correct: The United States have a far greater homicide rate (both gun- and non-gun) than most other first world countries. His main mistake is that he does not use population corrected data, his second mistake is that he does not cite his sources (and, as you correctly point out, he probably uses different reporting methods for the different countries). A good comparison of international homicide rates can be found on the relatively neutral guncite.com website. 