Ted Turner Scowls at U.S. Wars, Bizarrely Says 'The Russians Just Pulled Out' of Afghanistan (Wrong)

CNN founder Ted Turner unleashed more of his wacky banter in a recent appearance at the Cable Center in Denver, reports Multichannel News. It was an hourlong question-and-answer session with Michael Smith, a professor with the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The wackiest one was his analysis of recent wars, asserting that "the Russians just pulled out" of Afghanistan – in reality, the pullout was finalized in February of 1989. He was only off by 20 years.

"We’ve spent enough money on the Iraq war to buy the place five times over....now we’re in Afghanistan, and there’s not even any oil there! And the Russians just pulled out, and they’re tough."

Then he was asked about starting CNN because he came home from work too late to catch an evening newscast. The 24-7 cable news channel is like a marriage, he said:

"It’s like being married – you have access to lovemaking all the time. With a girlfriend, it’s just Friday nights."

Asked what he’ll get Rupert Murdoch for Christmas, he replied:

"We had lunch at Ted’s Montana Grill (his buffalo-meat restaurant), in New York – and I paid. We made amends because he went green."

These remarks underscore one other Turner eruption, about aging:

"At 71, my mind is so old, I can’t remember if I have Alzheimer’s, or....what’s the other one?"