  It is shown that a satisfactory explanation of the ratio of the rates of the
reactions $^3He(\pi^-,nn)$ and $^3He(\pi^-,np)$ for stopped pions is obtained
once the effect of the short range two-nucleon components of the axial charge
operator for the nuclear system is taken into account. By employing realistic
models for the nucleon-nucleon interaction in the construction of these
components of the axial charge operator, the predicted ratios agree with the
empirical value to within 10-20\%.
