Charlie Wilson's war : the extraordinary story of the largest covert operation in history--the arming of the Mujahideen

From an award-winning 60 Minutes reporter comes the extraordinary story of the largest and most successful CIA operation in history-the arming of the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. After the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, pressure mounted for the Americans to support the Afghan resistance. Charlie Wilson, a maverick congressman from East Texas who sat on the powerful House Defense Appropriations Committee, persuaded his colleagues to allocate $10 million to fund the CIA's effort to arm the Mujahideen. Charlie Wilson's War tells the story of what became the largest covert operation in history; funding eventually grew to over $1 billion a year. The book includes an incredible cast of characters: Charlie, the charismatic, hard-partying congressman who raised eyebrows when traveling to Pakistan with unusual companions -- one his personal belly dancer, another an ex-beauty queen -- but was passionate about supporting the Afghans and brilliant at getting deals done. Gust Avrakotos, a working-class Greek among Ivy Leaguers at the CIA who set up the team that ran the largest operation in the history of the CIA. President Zia of Pakistan, who became great friends with Charlie and used his leverage to get huge aid dollars as well as keep the West looking away as he built the first Muslim bomb. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers conventions, to the Khyber Pass, Charlie Wilson's War is brilliantly reported -- one of the most detailed and compulsively readable accounts of the inside workings of the CIA ever written, with a cast of characters and a plot out of Le Carre or Clancy. This book is a remarkable account of the last battle of the Cold War, a battle that helped weaken the Soviet Union and led to its collapse and, of course, paved the way to the rise of the Taliban, with consequences that we are dealing with today. In A Little Over A Decade, Two Events Have Transformed The World: The Collapse Of The Soviet Union And The Rise Of Militant Islam. This Book Is The Story Behind The Last Battle Of The Cold War And How It Fueled The New Jihad. The Author Tells How Charlie Wilson, A Maverick Congressman From East Texas, Conspired With A Rogue Cia Operative To Launch The Biggest, Meanest, And Most Successful Covert Operation In The Agency's History. In The Early 1980s, After A Houston Socialite Turned Wilson's Attention To The Ragged Band Of Afghan 'freedom Fighters' Who Continued, Despite Overwhelming Odds, To Fight The Soviet Invaders, The Congressman Became Passionate About Their Cause. At A Time When Ronald Reagan Faced A Total Cutoff Of Funding For The Contra War, Wilson, Who Sat On The All-powerful House Appropriations Committee, Managed To Procure Hundreds Of Millions Of Dollars To Support The Mujahideen. The Arms Were Secretly Procured And Distributed With The Aid Of An Out-of-favor Cia Operative, Gust Avrakotos, Whose Working-class Greek-american Background Made Him An Anomaly Among The Ivy League World Of American Spies. Nicknamed 'dr. Dirty, ' The Blue-collar James Bond Was An Aggressive Agent Who Served On The Front Lines Of The Cold War Where He Learned How To Stretch The Agency's Rules To The Breaking Point. Introduction : A Strange Award At Langley -- A Hot Tub In Las Vegas -- Defender Of Trinity -- A Rogue Elephant In The Agency Woods -- A Texas Bombshell -- The Secret Life Of Charlie Wilson -- The Curse Of Aliquippa -- How The Israelis Broke The Congressman's Heart And He Fell For The Muj -- The Station Chief -- Cocaine Charlie -- The Congressman Takes His Belly Dancer To The Jihad -- The Rebirth Of Gust Avrakotos -- The United States V. Charles Wilson -- The Seduction Of Doc Long -- Gust's Secret -- The Opening Salvo -- Howard Of Afghanistan -- Cogan's Last Stand -- The Birth Of A Conspiracy -- The Recruitment -- No Wasps Need Apply -- Man Of Destiny -- Mohammed's Arms Bazar -- The Senator And His Even Crazier Right-wing Friends -- Techno Holy Warriors -- 'the Noblest Smuggling Operation Is History' -- Dr. Doom Declares Charlie Dead -- Charlie's Irregulars -- The Silver Bullet -- The Other Silver Bullet -- The Brown Bomber -- 'it's My War, Goddamn It' -- A Jihad To Remember -- The Price Of Glory -- 'here's To You, You Motherfucker' -- Epilogue : Unintended Consequences. George Crile. Includes Index. "In a little over a decade, two events have transformed the world we live in: the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of militant Islam. Charlie Wilson's War is the untold story behind the last battle of the Cold War and how it fueled the new jihad. George Crile tells how Charlie Wilson, a maverick congressman from east Texas, conspired with a roque CIA operative to launch the biggest, meanest, and most successful covert operation in the Agency's history.". "In the early 1980s, after a Houston socialite turned Wilson's attention to the ragged band of Afghan "freedom fighters" who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders, the congressman became passionate about their cause. At a time when Ronald Reagan faced a total cutoff of funding for the Contra war, Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the aid of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrakotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Nicknamed "Dr. Dirty," the blue-collar James Bond was an aggressive agent who served on the front lines of the Cold War where he learned how to stretch the Agency's rules to the breaking point.". "Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation: "Hilly Billy," the logistics wizard who could open an unnumbered Swiss bank account for the U.S. government in twelve hours when others took months; Art Alper, the grandfatherly demolitions expert from the Technical Services Division who passed on his dark arts to the Afghans; Mike Vickers, the former Green Beret who created a systematic plan to turn a rabble of shepherds into an army of techno holy warriors."--BOOK JACKET. The bestselling true story of a Texas congressman’s secret role in the Afghan defeat of Russian invaders is “a tour de force of reporting and writing” (Dan Rather). A New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. Charlie Wilson’s penchant for cocktails and beauty-contest winners was well known, but in the early 1980s, the dilettante congressman quietly conducted one of the most successful covert operations in US history. Using his seat on the House Appropriations Committee, Wilson channeled hundreds of millions of dollars to support a ragged band of Afghan “freedom fighters” in their resistance against Soviet invaders. Weapons were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an outcast CIA operative named Gust Avrakotos, who stretched the agency’s rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of Washington to secret chambers at Langley, and from arms-dealers’ conventions to the Khyber Pass, Wilson and Avrakotos helped the mujahideen win an unlikely victory against the Russians. Adapted into a film starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, Charlie Wilson’s War chronicles an overlooked chapter in the collapse of the Soviet Union—and the emergence of a brand-new foe in the form of radical Islam. “Put the Tom Clancy clones back on the shelf; this covert-ops chronicle is practically impossible to put down. No thriller writer would dare invent Wilson.” —Publishers Weekly “An engaging, well-written, newsworthy study of practical politics and its sometimes unlikely players, and one with plenty of implications.” —Kirkus Reviews Charlie Wilson's War was a publishing sensation and a New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times bestseller. In the early 1980s, a Houston socialite turned the attention of maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson to the ragged band of Afghan "freedom fighters" who continued, despite overwhelming odds, to fight the Soviet invaders. Wilson, who sat on the all-powerful House Appropriations Committee, managed to procure hundreds of millions of dollars to support the mujahideen. The arms were secretly procured and distributed with the help of an out-of-favor CIA operative, Gust Avrokotos, whose working-class Greek-American background made him an anomaly among the Ivy League world of American spies. Avrakotos handpicked a staff of CIA outcasts to run his operation and, with their help, continually stretched the Agency's rules to the breaking point. Moving from the back rooms of the Capitol, to secret chambers at Langley, to arms-dealers' conventions, to the Khyber Pass,... Describes how, after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson persuaded his colleagues to fund the CIA's efforts to arm the mujahideen and recounts the repercussions of that covert operation Describes how, after the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, maverick Texas congressman Charlie Wilson persuaded his colleagues to fund the CIA's efforts to arm the mujahideen and the repercussions of the covert operation. When Congressman Charlie Wilson set off for a weekend in Las Vegas on June 27, 1980, there was no confusion in his mind about why he had chosen to stay at Caesars Palace. An Historical account of the covert operations against the Soviet invasion of Afganistan in 1980's.