Afghanistan crisis: Scenes from 1988 movie 'Rambo III' go viral after Taliban takeover

As Afghanistan fell to Taliban rule and harrowing images of the real-life besiege of the Capital Kabul emerged, the internet was reminded about Hollywood director Quentin Tarantino’s highest-grossing blockbuster of 1976 ‘Rambo III’. The movie apparently “dedicated to the brave Mujahideen fighters of Afghanistan” has fight, chaos, and territorial turmoil sequences, that eerily resemble the current situation in Afghanistan in the aftermath of the US troop withdrawal. Twitter is sharing several scenes from the motion picture featuring Sylvester Stallone as Rambo III called "the valiant Afghan people” who battles the political crisis in Afghanistan. Clips titled "Rambo in Afghanistan" from the Hollywood flick released in 2011 have been going viral. 

In the clips now gone viral, an Afghan interpreter assists Rambo by describing the region to him for the first time. “It's Afghanistan. Alexander the Great tried to conquer this country. Then Genghis Khan, then the British, now Russia,” he says in the clip. “But the Afghans are fighting hard, they will never be defeated,” he says. The Afghan interpreter also mentions another anecdote that seems fit with coverage of the political upheaval that the territory witnessing. “The elders say a prayer about these people, may God deliver us from the poison of the cobra, from the teeth of the tiger, and from the vengeance of the Afghans,” the Afghan interpreter adds. 

The 80s Hollywood action blockbuster then features war set during the Soviet invasion portraying the American mercenary John Rambo leading and training the “freedom fighters” in Kabul to stand up against the Soviet forces. Rambo conducts rescue missions to evacuate allies, including his friend Colonel Sam Trautman who was held captive by the Soviet army. Scenes pour in as a tribute to the “brave mujahideen of Afghanistan”. Internet was stunned with a warning sequence where Colonel Trautman and Russian Colonel Alexei Zaysen exchange dialogue about how a war in Afghanistan wasn’t a wise decision. But Trautman reminds that the Afghan people never give up, as a reference to Vietnam is also brought in.

It is to note that a throwaway line published by American newspapers that explained how Biden admin officials urged caution in US forces withdrawal Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, was quoted telling President Biden, "we've seen this movie before."

Released during soviet army's withdrawal 

Sylvester Stallone in the clips is assisted by Afghan loyalists who make him accustomed to the Kabul discreetly lending support. In the end, the Afghanistan turmoil is overcome with the victory of resistance fighters as alleged credit features a line: “This film is dedicated to the brave Mujahideen fighters of Afghanistan.” Several claims have also floated that the Soviet forces were withdrawing from Afghanistan around the time Rambo IIII based on the traumatized war veteran that spawned a franchise for Stallone, was released.