G7 recipient
• Named by Forbes as the “Only Woman in
History to Win a War”
• The Dame, Knight, Ambassador, Consulate
General of Pakistan and Morocco, Medal of
Honor Nominee, Texas Hall of Fame
J
oanne King Herring is an American socialite, busi-
nesswoman, 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 Presi-
dent 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.
The Honorable
Joanne King
Herring
........................
GLOBAL
IMPACT AWARD
28 iF Magazine | May 2017
Throughout the 1980s, Herring almost single handedly
created the entire United States support for the Mujahi-
deen 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 war in Afghanistan, which began in 1979 known
as Operation Cyclone. These events inspired the book
Charlie Wilson’s War: The Extraordinary Story of the Larg-
est Covert Operation in History; Herring was 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.