Charlie Wilson (1933-2010) Dies at 76

Posted on February 11, 2010
Filed Under >Adil Najam, People
16 Comments
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Adil Najam

Former Congressman Charlie Wilson died, at 76, earlier today in his native Texas.

Long-time readers of ATP are familiar with my fascination of Charlie Wilson (here, here and here). In many ways Charlie Wilson was as much an architect of today’s Pakistan as General Zia-ul-Haq. Only a lot more colorful, and maybe a little more well-meaning; even if equally misguided.

Ever since I first read Charlie Wilson’s War I have been fascinated by the man – and also by Joanne Herring. I am, therefore, saddened by his death. And yet, fascinating as he was, I cannot say I ever liked the man, or approved of his actions. But those actions and the events he helped shape, especially as articulated in Charlie Wilson’s War, personify the nuance and complexity of events which were history setting in their own time and have become even more so since then.

Back in 2006, in one of the earliest posts on this blog, I described the book about his role in the Afghanistan War against the Soviets (Charlie Wilson’s War) as “worth a read by anyone interested in politics or in a good thriller .” Later in December 2007 when the movie under the same title was released (with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts) I wrote a longer review the gist of which was: “I enjoyed the movie… Do go and see the movie and ask your friends to do so too. But, please read the book. Consider the movie to be no more than a trailer for the book.”

Today, I heard that Charlie Wilson, who had served as Democratic Congressman from Texas from 1973 to 1996, died at a hospital in Lufkin, Texas, of cardiopulmonary arrest. The news reminded me, once again, of just how important that period of the 1980s was to constructing the surreal reality of not just Pakistan, but the world today. And just how little we actually talk about it.

It is quite clear that he did not intend or expect things to turn out quite the way they did. But they did. I do not really know what he felt – at the end of his days – about what he did, what he should or could have done, and about all that happened because of what he did. I wish we knew. We probably never will. But here, in what must have been amongst his last political statements, is a glimpse:

16 responses to “Charlie Wilson (1933-2010) Dies at 76”

  1. Ali says:

    We couldn’t have done it without him. Thank you Charlie.

  2. sidhas2000 says:

    It is sad. Couple of years earlier Congressman Jim Moran invited him to come and speak in Northern Virginia. So many people came to hear and see him that there more no more space to accomodate the crowd. I also couldn’t make it the speech.

    The book is just mesmerizing. I just wish he had written in the 1990 when Islamic Fundamentalist started the myth of Afghan driving out Soviets and later they started saying that Osama was the key player. I do not know if anyone remembers.

    Farewell Charlie Wilson.

  3. Jabbar says:

    May he rest in peace. Even though he has left us a world so without peace.

  4. Some comments from the ATP Facebook Page:

    – “An amazing man.”
    – “Charlie Wilson, your womanizing, drunkenness and other personality flaws dwarf against the greater good that you did to help the Afghans defeat the Soviets. And just because of that greater good may the Lord Almighty grant you heavens eternal! Amen!”
    – “I am not convinced that his legacy is positive. He helped create the myth of the so called mujahideen, who in turn created the myth of the so called taliban and both have caused only destruction and havoc in Pakistan.”

  5. ASAD says:

    He was a complex man but with a worldview that was too simplistic.

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