Joanne Herring, Date of Birth, Place of Birth

Joanne Herring

American businesswoman, activist and diplomat

Date of Birth: 03-Jul-1929

Place of Birth: Houston, Texas, United States

Profession: businessperson, diplomat, socialite

Nationality: United States

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Joanne King Herring (born July 3, 1929) is an American socialite, businesswoman, political activist, philanthropist, diplomat, and former television talk show host.
Hailing from Houston, Texas, she is best known for influencing policy through her long association and political relation with the President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq (1977–88).
Herring also served as the honorary consul at the Consulate-General of Pakistan based in Houston; she is also the recipient of the Jinnah Medal, one of Pakistan's highest honors.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 "cannot 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.