War is Too Convenient

Charlie Wilson's War is the only war we've won since World War II. Charlie Wilson, the late Texas Congressman, operating with the Central Intelligence Agency, routed the Russians from Afghanistan in 1989. Charlie and I served on our respective Appropriation Committees, and I kept funding the money to Charlie. The CIA operates on a "need to know" basis. I didn't know the details of the operation, but Charlie knew everything. For every problem the CIA found, Charlie provided a solution. Charlie even persuaded Israel to ship some of our stinger missiles to Pakistan to shoot down the Russian helicopters. This brought the end of the war and started the downfall of Russia.

Leaving the Senate in 2005, Charlie, thanking me for my help, told me: "We won that war because the Afghans don't like foreigners. Even the warlords don't trust each other." The White House now appoints Leon Penetta, the Director of the CIA, to succeed Bill Gates as Secretary of Defense and General David Petraeus as Director of the CIA. Secretary Gates directed the war in Afghanistan from the beginning as Director of the CIA. General Petraeus will now direct it from the CIA. Conducting wars with the CIA makes war too convenient.

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