The True Story of Charlie Wilson(2007)

Name: The True Story of Charlie Wilson
Director: David Keane
Genre: Documentary
Released: 2007-01-01
Duration: 94 min
Cast: Frank V. Gaide, Joanne Herring, Michelle McClory, Melanie Morgan, Rene Napoli

Frank V. Gaide Joanne Herring Michelle McClory Melanie Morgan Rene Napoli

A playboy congressman, an outcast CIA operative, and a socialite steer over $300 million of the United States Government’s money — in an era when Reagan couldn’t raise $19 million for the Contras — to fund a covert war intended to turn Afghanistan into “Russia’s Vietnam.” Is this a joke? Is this some improbable work of fiction? Who are these wildly eccentric figures? How did they pull it off? In this special presentation from THE HISTORY CHANNEL® discover the intricate details of this incredible, fascinating and completely true series of events. Learn how Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson allied with CIA agent Gust Avrakotos and Houston philanthropist Joanne Herring to secretly bankroll the Afghan Mujahideen’s resistance to the Soviet Union. Retrace the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to the CIA’s largest and most successful campaign ever. And understand the wide-ranging and long-lasting implications of this little-known episode.