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 – Afghan War , 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 " can not predict the future . " Herring remains very active in social circles in Houston and regularly contributes to and participates in benefits to help American troops and the Afghan people . Her second book , '' Diplomacy and Diamonds : My Wars from the Ballroom to the Battlefield '' , was released on January 1 , 2011
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Joanne Herring