‘Charlie Wilson’s War’ figure is back
Former President George H.W. Bush thought he was agreeing to 15 minutes with Joanne King Herring, but an hour later he was shooing away his next commitment, riveted by her ideas for Afghanistan.
Herring, a vibrant 81-year-old whose prior work to spark CIA action in Afghanistan was depicted by Julia Roberts in the 2007 film “Charlie Wilson’s War,” wanted support for her new effort, one that was neglected long ago.
An hour earlier, Bush said he couldn’t offer anything but would hear her out. Now he was asking what he could do.
“I want you to call Obama,” Herring said.
So goes Herring, the determined advocate for a solution in Afghanistan whose charm and Southern drawl are back in action for an old cause. She has a 500-page plan to support a coalition of nonprofit organizations for coordinated, village-by-village redevelopment that she argues is vital for peace. Government heavyweights agree but getting them to fund the solution has been a 20-year challenge.