Lafayette Journal & Courier

Professor's TV appearance one of many -- 'It's fun,' he says

December 21, 2007

Purdue University history professor Randy Roberts was recently interviewed by the History Channel and will be featured tonight on an episode of History in Focus called "Charlie Wilson's War."

Wilson, a former Texas congressman, helped arm the Afghan mujahedeen rebels in their fight against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. Charlie Wilson's War, a movie starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, is premiering this weekend.

Once their Soviet enemy retreated, the mujahedeen -- those who join in jihad -- turned their efforts against the Americans, the very nation that helped them defeat the Soviets.

Randy Roberts has made more than 50 appearances on television documentaries for multiple networks and cable channels. He answered some questions about his latest appearance.

Question: What was Charlie Wilson's role in helping the Afghan rebels?

Answer: He was the central figure.

The mujahedeen was getting destroyed. The CIA had a few people in there, but nothing that would counter the Soviets.

Charlie Wilson was on the appropriations committee. He just started getting more and more money to the Afghans. He was also very instrumental in getting the right weapons to them.

Charlie was the guy who won the war. Without the American weapons, without the money that Charlie Wilson gave them, they wouldn't have won the war.

And after the Soviets pulled out (of Afghanistan), they (also) lost their grip on Eastern Europe. The Berlin Wall came down. The Cold War ended.

Q: What effect has that had on the United States?

A: The Mujahedeen are now fighting Americans. They're religious fundamentalists.

But I don't want to blame Charlie Wilson for any of this. It was an unintended consequence. Nobody foresaw 9/11. In reality, he wanted to help people who were fighting back against the Soviets and were dying.

Q: Do you view the results of Wilson's actions as positive or negative, then?

A: I just came back from Poland. Ask any person in Poland if it was positive.

It freed people. It's just as simple as that. The end of the Cold War was tremendous for the people who were suffering in the Cold War.

Q: Why was he so interested in the Afghan cause?

A: He saw the Afghans. He visited them in hospitals. All they were asking for is weapons. All they wanted is revenge.

He was a Texan. He was a cold warrior. Rarely during the Cold War did anyone have a chance to kill Soviets. He saw a moral obligation to give the mujahedeen what they needed.

Q: What's it like to be on so many documentaries and appearing on television so often?

A: I like it. It's fun.

I'm a teacher. I'm a scholar, and I write books and I teach.

In the books that I write, I write to try to tell stories people will read. I think these stories are wonderfully interesting. I try to talk to students and make it interesting. That's what I'm doing in class and on television.