ABC could have just had Mansoor Ijaz play himself and recount his own phone calls to Sandy Berger which basically parallel the part of this movie which has now been sanitized. Its not like there isn't a lot of truth in it even if the specific scenario was concocted. I'd rather see the actual truth instead but television isn't too interesting when you are filming people in different countries just talking on the phone to each other - not exactly 'must see TV'.
There was lots of action in the true version. There WAS an Afghan snatch team. They WERE in a position to make an attempt near Tarnak Farms. But they were basically a bunch of boobs, had never pulled off this kind of military operation, and were likely feeding intel to the ISI. Massoud was never even in the province. Or in that half of the country. And there were NONE of our people on the ground there. Our plan was, in fact, to let them get the guy to Pakistan or a mountain hideout and we'd swoop in and get him 30-60 days later. And, rather than guys wanting to go being told no, the Agency that was running the Op said 'we don't think it is a go - the odds are bad.'
There was the other time when we didn't blow the hunting camp to smithereens because we weren't sure OBL was there but we did know some UAE royals were there. Did we miss a chance? Maybe. At the time, did anyone think OBL was such a priority that we should blow the hell out of some royals from a Gulf ally? Not a chance. No one thought that.
Why not tell the truth? Why advocate for not telling the truth?