Joanne Herring
| Joanne King Herring | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Joanne Johnson July 3, 1929 Houston, Texas, U.S.A. |
| Residence | Houston, Texas, United States |
| Nationality |
 United States
|
| Citizenship |
United States
|
| Alma mater |
University of Texas at Austin (studies not finished) |
| Years active | 1980s–1990s |
| Known for | Activism for the support against the Soviet influence in the global politics Association with military government of President Zia-ul-Haq |
| Spouse(s) | Robert King Robert Herring Lloyd Davis |
| Awards | Jinnah Medal (1980s) |
Joanne King Herring (born July 3, 1929) is an American socialite, businesswoman, political activist, philanthropist, diplomat, and former television talk show host. Hailing from Houston, Texas, she is best known for influencing policy through her long association and political relation with the President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq (1977–88). Herring also served as the honorary consul at the Consulate-General of Pakistan based in Houston; she is also the recipient of the Jinnah Medal, one of Pakistan's highest honors.
Throughout the 1980s, Herring almost single handedly created the entire United States support for the Mujahideen in Afghanistan by assisting the U.S. Representative Charlie Wilson to persuade the U.S. government to train and arm the Mujahideen resistance fighters to fight in the Soviet war in Afghanistan, which began in 1979 known as Operation Cyclone. These events inspired the book Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History; Herring is portrayed by actress Julia Roberts in the 2007 film Charlie Wilson's War. Since the September 11 attacks, Herring has stated that she "did not make al-Qaeda" and that she "cannot predict the future."
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