Editing Dan Rather (section)

=== Afghanistan, Reagan, and George H. W. Bush ===
[[File:Beam-Caldwell-Rather at Camp Eggers in 2011.jpg|thumb|250px|Rather speaking with Lt. Gen. [[William B. Caldwell IV]] and Sergeant Maj. Beam about the [[Afghan National Security Forces]] training mission and other issues at [[Camp Eggers]] in Kabul, Afghanistan, on July 26, 2011]]
During the [[Soviet–Afghan War]], Rather was filmed reporting near the front lines while wearing a traditional [[mujahideen]] headdress and garments. Rather attracted an ''Evening News'' audience (and was nicknamed "Gunga Dan"). The American comic strip ''[[Doonesbury]]'' spoofed his actions.

Rather's reports were later revealed to have influenced Congressman [[Charles Wilson (Texas politician)|Charlie Wilson]] (D-Texas), who led an effort to help the mujahideen which included the [[Taliban]]. The Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in the late 1980s, shortly before the collapse of the USSR.<ref>{{cite news |access-date=March 8, 2008 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/20/AR2007122002416.html |title='Charlie Wilson': Firing on All Cylinders |first=Stephen |last=Hunter |date=December 21, 2007 |page=C01 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]}}</ref>

Rather was promoted to the anchor spot on the ''Evening News''. He was competing with [[Roger Mudd]], a more senior correspondent and a frequent substitute anchor for [[Walter Cronkite]] on ''Evening News''. Mudd had also anchored the Sunday evening broadcast, but Rather traveled through Afghanistan when news led there. A few years into his service as anchor, Rather began wearing sweaters beneath his suit jacket to soften his on-air appearance for viewers.<ref name="NYT_Dowd_20040111">{{cite news |access-date=March 8, 2008
|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/11/opinion/the-argyle-general-910791.html |title=The Argyle General |first=Maureen |last=Dowd |date=January 11, 2004 |work=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref>

During the 1980s, Rather gained further renown for his forceful and direct reporting of the [[Iran–Contra affair]]. He questioned Vice President [[George H. W. Bush]] in an on-air interview during the latter's presidential campaign. Bush referred to Rather's "[[Dead air|dead air incident]]" saying: 
<blockquote>I want to talk about why I want to be President, why those 41 percent of the people are supporting me. And I don't think it's fair to judge my whole career by a rehash on [[Iran]]. How would you like it if I judged your career by those seven minutes when you walked off the set in New York?<ref name="Shouting">{{cite news |last=Boyer |first=Peter J. |title=Rather's Questioning of Bush Sets Off Shouting on Live Broadcast |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/01/26/us/rather-s-questioning-of-bush-sets-off-shouting-on-live-broadcast.html |work=The New York Times |date=January 26, 1988 |access-date=November 6, 2008}}</ref></blockquote>

Shortly after [[Iraq]] invaded [[Kuwait]], Rather secured an interview with Iraqi leader [[Saddam Hussein]].
{{blockquote|There is no powerful and quick strike that a people could deliver, whatever their overall power. The United States depends on the Air Force. The Air Force has never decided a war in the history of wars.|Saddam Hussein in an interview with Dan Rather on August 29, 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/pgwar/pergul1.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010415010745/http://www.au.af.mil/au/aul/bibs/pgwar/pergul1.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 15, 2001 |title=Persian Gulf Region |publisher=Air University, United States Air Force}}</ref>|title=|source=}}

On February 24, 2003, Rather conducted another [[February 2003 Saddam Hussein interview|interview with Hussein]] before the United States' [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. In the interview, Hussein invited Rather to be the moderator of a live television debate between himself and George W. Bush. The debate never took place.