New Delhi, July 25: Most of the Afghan resistance against the Soviet Union was fought by Mujahideen and Pakistani soldiers using Israeli arms supplied after General Zia Ul Haq entered into secret deals with the Israelis, a book published in the US has claimed.
The book "Charlie Wilson's War: The Extraordinary Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History" throws light on secret Pakistan army-Israeli deals and their cooperation through the CIA.
The book claims that the deal was struck through the US Congressman Charles Wilson from Texas, a great pro-Pakistan activist who hated the Indians. He was the central figure to get these CIA-funded weapons for Pakistan and is credited in the book as the man who broke up the Soviet Union with the help of a 48-year old Houston woman with whom General Zia Ul Haq also had an affair.

The book, written by journalist George Crile, says that Wilson made a proposal to General Zia to deal with the Israelis during Zia's first visit to US after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The proposal was made at a grand dinner hosted by the Houston lady, Joanne Herring, who was named later as honorary consul of Pakistan and became a critical player in the war.
"American liberals and human-rights advocates would never change their view of Zia as a thug, but his American visit was something of a triumph, and Joanne's dinner was part of the reason it succeeded," the book, whose excerpts were published by the US-based Pakistani newsportal "South Asia Tribune", said.


Bureau Report