[Peace-discuss] Secret weapon

[Ron Szoke]

'Viagra lure' for Afghan warlords

America's CIA has found a novel way to gain information from fickle Afghan 
warlords - supplying sex-enhancing drug Viagra, a US media report says.

The Washington Post said it was one of a number of enticements being used.

In one case, a 60-year-old warlord with four wives was given four pills and four 
days later detailed Taleban movements in return for more.

"Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people," the Post quoted one 
agent as saying.

"Whether it's building a school or handing out Viagra."

The newspaper said the use of Viagra had to be handled sensitively as the drug 
was not always known about in rural areas.

It quoted one retired agent as saying: "You didn't hand it out to younger guys, 
but it could be a silver bullet to make connections to the older ones."

In the case of the 60-year-old warlord -- the head of a clan in southern 
Afghanistan who had not co-operated -- operatives saw he had four younger 
wives.

The pills were explained and offered. Four days later the agents returned.

"He came up to us beaming," the Post quoted an agent as saying. "He said, 'You 
are a great man.'

"And after that we could do whatever we wanted in his area."

The pills could put chieftains "back in an authoritative position", another official 
said.

The paper said the CIA had a long line of inducements for the notoriously fickle 
warlords, including dental work, visas, toys and medicine.

It quoted one private security official as saying that simply handing over large 
sums of money would raise suspicions about newfound wealth.

 --  Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7800549.stm
Published: 2008/12/26 18:13:46 GMT   © BBC MMVIII