CIA bribing Afghan landlords with Viagra in exchange for intel

The CIA wants to fight the Taliban insurgency by bribing Afghani chieftains, landlords and local citizens with those tiny blue pills.

Recently a CIA officer handed a small bag of Viagra to a 60-year-old Afghan chief and told him to take it, and he assured him he would love it. The chief is married to four younger women. This is only one example of the scene in Afghanistan where various methods are being tested to fight the Taliban insurgency. The officer who gave the Viagra went back to see the 60-year-old man four days later; he found him happy and the man gave the officer important information about Taliban movements and supply routes. In exchange, the chief wanted more Viagra. The CIA has given Afghans Viagra as well as many other services so that locals will feed them with vital information about the Taliban. According to the Washington Post, some of the services offered by the CIA were: "pocketknives and tools, medicine or surgeries for ailing family members, toys and school equipment, tooth extractions, travel visas, and, occasionally, pharmaceutical enhancements for aging patriarchs with slumping libidos." When asked about the motivation behind these gifts, a longtime CIA agency operative and veteran of several Afghanistan tours told the Washington Post:

"Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people — whether it's building a school or handing out Viagra."

CIA officials said these gifts are necessary, otherwise locals switch sides. Others, like Taliban commanders, drug dealers and some Iranian agents, also offer them bribes according to the CIA. Jamies Smith, a veteran of CIA covert operations in Afghanistan and now chief executive of SCG International, a private security and intelligence company, told the Washington Post these gifts are better than money or guns, as weapons may fall into the wrong hands and money brings them unwanted attention and trouble. The CIA and KGB often use sex as a motivating tool to get information. When it comes to using Viagra, one CIA official said:

"They learn the landscape, get to know the players, and adjust to the operating environment, no matter where it is...They think out of the box, take risks, and do what's necessary to get the job done."

In this case it worked and soldiers were able to operate freely in the area with local cooperation. While the Taliban uses religion as a tool to lure locals, the CIA relies on Viagra. Critics now worry that giving local old men more blue pills will make the conditions for women in the region even worse.