Charlie Wilson's Secret War: Funding the Afghan Mujahideen

Introduction: The Soviet Invasion and America's Response

In the final days of 1979, the Soviet Union sent in the first of thousands of troops to support the newly established communist government of Afghanistan. Officially, the mission of these troops was to provide "international aid to the friendly Afghan people and establishing advantageous conditions to prevent possible actions by the governments of neighboring countries against Afghanistan" (Grau 1). While President Jimmy Carter literally reacted with "open mouthed shock" to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and Vice President Walter Mondale publicly stated "I cannot understand — it just baffles me," there was at least one person in the American government who was able to respond to this blatant expansionism by the Soviet Union: Congressman Charlie Wilson (Sperling). Through his position on several secret congressional subcommittees, Wilson succeeded in providing the Afghans fighting the Soviets with military support that eventually forced them to leave the country.

Charlie Wilson: Background and Congressional Career

Charlie Wilson was born in 1933 and spent much of his life in eastern Texas. After graduating from Trinity High School in Trinity County, Texas, he first attended Sam Houston State University, but shortly thereafter received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. After graduating in 1956, Wilson served as a naval officer until 1960, when he entered politics and was elected to the Texas House of Representatives. He served in the Texas House and Senate until he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Democrat from Texas. He remained in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 3, 1973 to October 8, 1996, when he resigned his position ("Wilson, Charles"). Wilson returned to his home in Lufkin, Texas, where he lived until his death on February 10, 2010 from cardiopulmonary arrest.

Joanne Herring and the Catalyst for Action

Although known as "Good Time Charlie," and constantly surrounded by beautiful women, Wilson was also a member of several important committees, including the Appropriations Committee as well as the Defense Appropriations and Foreign Operations subcommittees (Crile 77). But it was not until he was approached by what George Crile described in his book Charlie Wilson's War as "A Texas Bombshell" that Wilson became interested in the plight of the Afghan people: "It began with a Texas woman, one of Wilson's contributors. She's the one who got him interested" (Crile 64).

Her name was Joanne Herring, a wealthy Texas socialite who adopted the cause of Pakistan after a meeting with the Pakistani ambassador to Washington. During the 1970s, Pakistan was extremely poor, not in favor with the United States, and desperate for assistance. Herring was named an honorary Pakistani consul in Houston, Texas, and from that time forth championed Pakistan everywhere she could. It was the fear of the Soviet Union invading Pakistan next — as well as a personal trip to the border with Afghanistan to meet with Afghan freedom fighters (mujahideen) and view the refugee camps — that spurred her into action against the Soviets in Afghanistan and sent her to Congressman Charlie Wilson for help. In effect, "Joanne Herring wanted Wilson to become the mujahideen's true champion" (Crile 75).