Charlie Wilson's War: Separating Fact From Fiction
Following the Hollywood hit, Charlie Wilson’s War, find out all you need to know about the true story.
The film
Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump) is a charismatic and liberal Texas congressman, who joins forces with his sometimes lover, Houston socialite and active anti-communist Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts; Pretty Woman, Erin Brockovich), and CIA Operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman; Capote, Cold Mountain) in the largest covert operation in history…the arming of the Afghan freedom fighters in their fight against the Soviet Union.
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The incredible success of these three charming individuals saw the manipulation of Congress and the CIA, while forming unlikely alliances with foreign governments and arms dealers alike.
US funding for covert operations against the Soviets increases from $5million at the start of the war to a staggering $1billion by 1989, and leads to the eventual withdrawal of the Red Army from a newly equipped Afghanistan. The embarrassing withdrawal of Soviet forces further undermined the USSR and was a significant factor in bringing about the end of the Cold War.
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After the unimaginable defeat of the superpower, Pakistani President Mohammad Zia ul-Haq was asked how Afghan peasants delivered such a remarkable blow, to which he responded “Charlie did it”.
True story?
The film, adapted from the non-fiction book of the same name by George Crile, opens with the playful declaration: “Based on a true story. You think we could make this up?” So, did they?
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