Interesting story of the CIA’s creative ways of dealing with Afghan tribal leaders.
The Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift.Four blue pills. Viagra.
“Take one of these. You’ll love it,” the officer said. Compliments of Uncle Sam.
The enticement worked. The officer, who described the encounter, returned four days later to an enthusiastic reception. The grinning chief offered up a bonanza of information about Taliban movements and supply routes — followed by a request for more pills. [...]
“Whatever it takes to make friends and influence people — whether it’s building a school or handing out Viagra,” said one longtime agency operative and veteran of several Afghanistan tours.
More interesting than this story is the reaction of WaPo readers. Why, this is just more proof positive of BoooshCheneyCIAHaliburton War Crimes! Ugly Americans!
A flavor sample:
*Free viagra for afghan warlords ..and american women still have to pay for birth control. nice our efforts over there are at the expense of the presumably very young “wives” of these old men.*I guess it’s an improvement over beads, trinkets, and smallpox infested blankets given to the Native Americans.
*Is there nothing the Bush folks won’t do for their contributors like Phizer and the MIC?
*Does anyone else think this article is offensive to muslims? A warlord “grinning” to get viagra and buying “shiny junk.” It’s not like American men are less excited about getting viagra–they’re just not portrayed as great apes.
*What a lovely culture we hail from. The United States has elevated its level of debauchery from giving firewater to Native Americans to providing sex enhancing drugs to the indigenous people of Afghanistan. That’s some kind of progress. How much lower can we stoop? Shameful.
*CIA complicit in Rapes of Underage Wives by Afghan Warlords.
*And American women, courtesy of the neoncon right wing religionists, are being told they cannot get a prescription for the morning after pill. And some are not able to get their birth control scrips filled at some pharmacies “because it is a sin” and we are encouraging randy old men to “take” their women whether the women have a say or not. One of the advantages to ageing is loss of libido which can be a blessing after 45 years of being pumped by some man who could care less about who or what you are other than an easy lay.
*The American people have known for a long time that the CIA is a drug dealing cartel. Time for a war on drugs eh? We are the drug dealers…your tax dollars at work. A sick nation.
*Complicity in marital rape. Gee, I feel safe already.
*The Taliban offers drugs, money, or slaugnter, as dose the Bush Administration. So, where is the difference?
*You can imagine how deep (!) the Viagra CEOs are reaching in Congress and the Pentagon. No one in its right mind will come up with this outrageous and immoral idea. Only the CEOs of Viagra and our ‘representatives’.
*The Bush CIA contributing to the well-being of pedophiles in Afganistan. Will the evil of the Bush USA never stop?
*What a sick and stupid nation the USA is these days. We are losing, and will lose, the immoral wars the GOP started. Enjoy the Viagra while you can, vicious rapists–courtesy of the US taxpayer.
*The production of these drugs should be banned anyway.
*Who needs an enemy when you got the CIA?
Comment by ushie on 12/26 @ 4:36 pm #
GAH! TEH STUPID! IT’s Everywhere!
There should be a childish dolt tax, there really should. You can believe whatever dumb shit you want, but you should have to PAY for the privilege.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/26 @ 4:37 pm #
Wait, so the Afghans transformed from Innocent Brown People being Murdered by Teh EEEEEEEEVILLL Westerners back into Primitive Animal Rapists again?
I can’t keep up!
Apparently these folks haven’t gotten the word from Team Lightworker about O!’s plans for Afghanistan and Pock-ee-stawn, by the way.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/26 @ 4:41 pm #
I hereby denounce, codemn and renounce teh eeevil Viagra-Military Complex!!!!!
[/reactionary moonbat leftist]
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/26 @ 4:42 pm #
“There should be a childish dolt tax, there really should.”
algae, thor and sweraterboi wpuld all be banckrupt.
Comment by ushie on 12/26 @ 4:55 pm #
*The Bush CIA contributing to the well-being of pedophiles in Afganistan. Will the evil of the Bush USA never stop?
Comment by Pellegri on 12/26 @ 5:07 pm #
I’m amused that statements condemning Afghani tribal leaders universally as pedophiles (i.e., applying Western standards to the practice of polygamy and marriage of younger women) and condemning the article for portraying them as apelike animals can stand together unironically.
Comment by JerryT on 12/26 @ 5:20 pm #
I’ve seen this story elsewhere on the net today. From whom was it “borrowed?”
Comment by bill on 12/26 @ 5:20 pm #
Liberals of the current brand have to be the most morally confused nimrods in human history. By the way ,how is NAMBLA going to feel about singling out pedophiles for criticism? They have feeling too.
Comment by bill on 12/26 @ 5:21 pm #
Make that feelings.
Comment by Carin -buried under 10 inches of "climate change" on 12/26 @ 5:22 pm #
One of the advantages to ageing is loss of libido which can be a blessing after 45 years of being pumped by some man who could care less about who or what you are other than an easy lay.
Heh. This one’s my favorite.
Comment by B Moe on 12/26 @ 5:23 pm #
It is about time we had an awakening and surge in Afghanistan, what I say.
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/26 @ 5:28 pm #
Hmmmmm…I’d be willing to wager that many of these same commenters are simultaneously fulminating about O!&Co not being given “the benefit of the doubt” in the Blagojevich scandal, or even given credit for their, ahem, good intentions…
If they had read the article closer, they might have actually discovered that there are benefits to this policy. Perhaps one of the greatest is the zealous cooperation that these same Afghanis provide after discovering that there is an up side, so to speak, to helping the allied forces. And, since these aren’t cash based incentives, you won’t have friendly operatives being discovered as they flash around new-found windfalls, the cash payments for info, like a bunch of rappers in a strip club. And, what suddenly happened to the self-serving benefits of feeling good about helping underprivileged “brown” people raising the quality of their lives..?
I mean, I realize that they’re polygamists, often marry very young women, and engage in, you know, willful marital rape-like sex within wedlock; but I mean, that’s their culture-man-get over it, you haters!
I guess many of these commenters don’t have such good reading comprehensions skills…Oh, that’s right, we don’t care if our youth leave the public school system with a reading ability at around the 8th grade level; as long as they can recognize the opression of the patriarchy, the inherent racism of the majority, and the social inequities of capitalism-and will vote for Democrats in perpetuity…
I just don’t understand, this isn’t a coercive measure, is it?
All I can say is these folks better get over their issues and rage. In less than a month their guy will be running the show, and most likely won’t stop this particular incentive program; especially if it’s working. They’d better get used to owning the actions of their government soon instead of simply harping about the situation.
In my opinion, they’d better get used to using terms like ObamaPhizer, and recognizing that they’ll be advancing and enabling the patriarchy, at least in Afghanistan…
Afghanistan, Pawk-ee-stahn, [insert African country name here]; lefties, live it, love it, learn it…OWN IT!
Comment by Sdferr on 12/26 @ 5:31 pm #
Not just a surge but alternative and improved supplylines as well, B Moe. Plus potential bonus!, beginning to secure Georgia along the way, if only the PeBHO will agree.
Comment by Darleen on 12/26 @ 5:32 pm #
Comment by JerryT on 12/26 @ 5:20 pm #
Um, Jerry, the story is from the Washington Post and duly linked. What problem are you having with this?
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/26 @ 5:32 pm #
Why do reactionary leftists hate little brown peoples?
Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 5:55 pm #
Seeing as the C.I.A. botched the initial invasion of Afghanistan, it only makes sense they’ve been reduced to playing pimps.
Comment by Swen Swenson on 12/26 @ 6:37 pm #
Hey ’snip, the CIA has a job for you. Yes, it seems some of those Afghanis like little boys too!
Comment by Kresh on 12/26 @ 6:56 pm #
Talk about rolling a “1″ on your irony check. Sheesh. These people need to stop using wisdom as a dump stat. Frikkin’ min-maxers.
Comment by Percy Dovetonsils on 12/26 @ 7:07 pm #
Frankly, the CIA should be giving Viagra to the WaPo readership. They obviously need to get their “pipes” seriously flushed and, maybe, mellow the fuck out for once.
Comment by Spiny Norman on 12/26 @ 7:08 pm #
Looks like a good portion of the Compost’s readers have managed to reach a level of schtoopid that our resident trolls have yet to achieve. Remarkable.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 7:17 pm #
“Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 5:55 pm #
Seeing as the C.I.A. botched the initial invasion of Afghanistan”
veggie head the CIA directed B1 bombers to drop bombs on your Taliban buddies from horseback with a laser.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 7:21 pm #
““Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 5:55 pm #
Seeing as the C.I.A. botched the initial invasion of Afghanistanâ€Â
B/C fuctards like you cowards would know exactly what to do when invading a land locked country 12,000 miles away.
Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 7:30 pm #
Well, dre,
Let’s give ‘em one of those “participant” medals to them for at least showing up.
The rest of us are still paying for their screw ups seven years later.
Close enough for government work, what?
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/26 @ 7:47 pm #
Give it a rest, nipply.
No one here believes that you have a job or pay taxes.
Comment by B Moe on 12/26 @ 7:53 pm #
B/C fuctards like you cowards would know exactly what to do when invading a land locked country 12,000 miles away.
Think shipping containers, dre.
Full of mad leet Rangers and shit.
“To Osama, c/o Taliban, Gen. Delivery, Afghanistan” on the mailing label.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:02 pm #
“The rest of us are still paying for their screw ups seven years later.”
The Great Society, the New Deal???? You communists like to invest in other people’s future. Jimmy Obama says shut your mouth.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:08 pm #
“The rest of us are still paying for their screw ups seven years later.â€Â
The Wagner Act 1935 passed by collectivists numbskulls and signed into law by elitist economic idiot. 73 years of stupidity. Take a hike veg head.
Comment by jon on 12/26 @ 8:11 pm #
I have no problem with the barter in Viagra for information. I do have some questions:
I wonder, for instance, if Levitra and Cialis have gotten their pants in a tightened wad over their being left out of the program. Also, did the tribal chief consult a physician before usage? If not, he could have experienced significant side effects. Do CIA guys really get to administer drugs without a medical license? Wish I had known that before choosing a career. And can the CIA score me some heroin? Or do I have to have some important information first?
Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 8:13 pm #
If you crackers want to fund your wars out of your own pockets, go for it dre.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/26 @ 8:16 pm #
What happens when alfie takes Viagra?
He grows about 6 inches.
Comment by B Moe on 12/26 @ 8:19 pm #
An overwhelming majority of congress voted to fund the Afghanistan war, tuberhead. The American people were behind it all the way.
Surely you aren’t advocating a stance against popular opinion?
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:22 pm #
“If you crackers want to fund your wars out of your own pockets, go for it dre.”
I’ll stop paying my FICA tax pronto. Do your own Ponzi scheme.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:23 pm #
What happens to the Afghan “who has an erection lasting more than 4 hours”?
Comment by parsnip on 12/26 @ 8:29 pm #
I guess it’s only fair that we see how the war in Afghanistan goes under a competent administration before pulling the plug on it, B moe.
Elections matter.
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/26 @ 8:34 pm #
“Do CIA guys really get to administer drugs without a medical license?”
Jon,
Do you know what the laws on controled substances are in Afghanistan? Especially in the wild and wooly area near Waziristan..?
I suggest they are probably along the line of the modified golden rule; those who have the gold, make the rules…
You know, if you’re really interested in exciting foreign service, and are under 27, a recruiter might be a good place to visit. I know my time with the Navy did wonders for my character, outlook, and worldview…
And, if you have a college degree you have a good shot at being an officer; so you got that goin’ for you…
Comment by guinsPen on 12/26 @ 8:51 pm #
Erections, too.
Comment by Stuart Smalley on 12/26 @ 8:53 pm #
Elections matter.
Theoretically.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:55 pm #
“I guess it’s only fair that we see how the war in Afghanistan goes under a competent administration before pulling the plug on it”
Pull the plug on Fascists like you.
Comment by Bob Reed on 12/26 @ 8:57 pm #
Here’s a good illustration and short discussion of the left’s hypocrisy and selective outrage…
http://hotair.com/archives/2008/12/26/the-outrage-threshold-on-the-left/
It has a good cartoon embedded also
Best Wishes
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/26 @ 8:57 pm #
The “chickenhawk” meme is going under the bus faster than Barry’s grandma.
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/26 @ 9:20 pm #
But the chickens of the left are ever with us.
Comment by SDN on 12/26 @ 9:37 pm #
Well, snippy, when we resolve Clinton’s trip to Bosnia you might be able to complain. Until then, STFU.
Comment by Patrick Carroll on 12/26 @ 10:57 pm #
When The One starts dispensing e[lr]ections in a pill, well, the left will just fall in line, like the Greek Chorus it is.
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 11:04 pm #
Who gave Bill Clinton Viagra?
Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 11:06 pm #
Stiff Dick = Leftist “Thought”. Or a stiff Stalin CLUB.
Comment by MAJ (P) John on 12/26 @ 11:31 pm #
Remember folks – we are lucky to have a military commentator like p____. Top 10% at CGSOC, winner of the Bronze Star while leading a CA BN in Afghanistan – he knows…he knows.
I should be so lucky as to draw it as my next BDE CDR.
Comment by mojo on 12/27 @ 12:24 am #
When action grows unprofitable, gather information.
When information grows unprofitable, sleep.
– The Left Hand of Darkness
Comment by parsnip on 12/27 @ 1:20 am #
I realize people like John don’t like their government projects judged, but then why accord my name the same spelling manner that the pious give to their g_d?
Comment by Mark A. Flacy on 12/27 @ 2:54 am #
Then you are a greater moron than I had thought was possible.
Because there’s nothing that soldiers enjoy more than to go somewhere inhospitable where people are shooting at you for no reason other than to spend government money.
Comment by SDN on 12/27 @ 7:01 am #
FTFY.
Comment by B Moe on 12/27 @ 7:56 am #
Yeah, fess up Maj. John. You guys are just dragging this out because you love those all expenses paid vacations to Afghanistan, huh?
Comment by N. O'Brain on 12/27 @ 8:05 am #
“Comment by dre on 12/26 @ 8:23 pm #
What happens to the Afghan “who has an erection lasting more than 4 hoursâ€Â?”
He does alfie one more time.
Comment by BJTexs on 12/27 @ 8:17 am #
Someone needs to make parsnip disappear before he starts to really say stupid and hurtful things to Major John and the military. We’ve been down that road before and I see no good reason to travel it again.
Comment by Peg C. on 12/27 @ 8:23 am #
Wow, the CIA is brilliant. Who knew? Truly, this is inspired – and I’m a woman saying that.
As for the WaPo and other Drive-By comment sections, they are less than useless, they’ll rot the brain. So much stupidity concentrated in one big echo chamber…
Comment by MAJ (P) John on 12/27 @ 8:29 am #
BJ – actaully kind of funny. We judge everything we do – quite ruthlessly. AARs, Center for Army Lessons Learned, etc. I just have to laugh when someone so deeply and abidingly ignorant of Afghanistan’s history and her people tries to say the initial campaign against the Taliban was a failure. A handful of SF and CIA ops guys, some air support and a couple of BNs of Air Mobile, Airborne and a force that held 90 of a country was swept from power in short order.
If you read of the “resurgent” Taliban (can’t read a wire service article without encountering that term for the past 3 years) sometimes the after the loud declarations of “increasing violence” you will get the whispered – ‘oh yeah, and the casualties are either the Talib/Hig/Haqqani or innocent civilians they target or hide behind.’
The Afghans started fightin’ and feudin’ amongst themselves in the 1970s (and you should check the history of their monarchy, it wasn’t a job I’d have wanted. The retirement plan wasn’t really good) – it hasn’t slowed but to turn against outsiders – mostly – since. But critics like p want some Disneyesque Afghanland. If not, they get to carp and bitch about it.
Actually, carp and bitch is all we ever get. I’m still waiting for the first constructive remark. Ever. Hence my snark about CGSOC – p has all the answers to everything – economics, military action, etc. But we just don’t seem to get them laid out in an actionable manner.
And no, a couple of short sweeping declarative sentences doesn’t count.
Comment by MAJ (P) John on 12/27 @ 8:32 am #
er, “90 percent”
Comment by dorkafork on 12/27 @ 8:38 am #
So the details of “Operation Hard Bargain” have finally been revealed, eh?
Comment by dorkafork on 12/27 @ 8:41 am #
OT, but Darleen, in case you haven’t checked your email, I was a bit snippy when I responded to you on a thread over at Ace’s. I apologize.
Comment by Rusty on 12/27 @ 8:56 am #
“Do CIA guys really get to administer drugs without a medical license?â€Â
It’s people like you that raise the cost of my health insurance.
Comment by Spies, Brigands, and Pirates on 12/27 @ 9:09 am #
A handful of SF and CIA ops guys, some air support and a couple of BNs of Air Mobile, Airborne and a force that held 90 of a country was swept from power in short order.
This bears setting out on its own. I’m not a military guy, but I know from history that Afghanistan has eaten armies from the Soviets, through the British Empire, all the way back to Alexander the Great. I confess that I was worried at the beginning. I expected it to be much, much worse.
The success of the US military in Afghanistan is unprecedented, and you should be very proud. I know I’m proud of you and grateful to you.
But critics like p want some Disneyesque Afghanland.
Yes, the nipplys of the world will always claim failure if Afghanistan doesn’t turn into Sunnybrook Farm.
Oddly, they don’t seem to apply the same standard to Chicago.
Comment by Christopher Taylor on 12/27 @ 10:28 am #
Wow, a lot of people using the word “evil” here, the same ones who mocked President Reagan’s “Evil Empire” and Bush’s “Axis of Evil” for being so old and absolutist. Only the unenlightened use the word evil… unless it is to describe the unenlightened.
Comment by Mark A. Flacy on 12/27 @ 12:35 pm #
Yep.
Parsnip doesn’t appear to realize a few things (the following may look like crap since I’m gonna try the HTML list markup and there’s no preview function):
Being the second-best army in a battle or a war is not a good thing. Members of armies are very well aware of that.
You don’t always get what you want or need to get the job done. Plan for it and deal with it.
There’s this group of folks called the “enemy” whose purpose in life is to screw up your plans. This “enemy” tends to learn from its mistakes and can get pretty good at undermining your efforts.
(Yes, the third point is a slight over-simplification but this is for parsnip.)
Comment by Mark A. Flacy on 12/27 @ 12:37 pm #
OK, now I know that the <ol> HTML tags don’t work. So the mess should have been…
Comment by Rusty on 12/27 @ 12:47 pm #
parsnip reminds me of the kind of person who would give a bum…er homeless person a five dollar bill and then go through great pains to tell them exactly how it should be spent.
Comment by eaglewingz08 on 12/27 @ 2:28 pm #
I guess this is how the CIA makes the chickens come home to roost?
Funny, but there is nothing in the article about the age of the wives except that they are younger than sixty. Perhaps they are in their thirties? How would that make the Chieftan a pedophile? Once again the libnuts expose their own psychic delusions. Instead of applauding the US for gaining the support of local chieftans to fight in their own candidate’s (and indeed their own self acknowledged) just war in Afghanistan, the loonies still look like they are opposed to any war the US is involved in, any self defense war the US engages in, and any act that the US takes to protect itself. But don’t question their patriotism.
Comment by Swen Swenson on 12/27 @ 3:16 pm #
Well, you know what they say: “Fucking for peace is like fighting for virginity!”
…
Or something like that.
Comment by ccoffer on 12/27 @ 6:00 pm #
Those poor Afghans went shopping for justice and left with boners.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/27 @ 6:13 pm #
I don’t understand what is the problem with getting viagra out. I have heard of the threat to rhinos and tigers and such by the market for male aphrodisiacs in Asia and so forth. So here is one, that works, and no rhinos or tigers get killed.
What is the problem? Guy gets happy, rhinos and tigers get to live – win-win for all.
Comment by JohnAnnArbor on 12/27 @ 6:44 pm #
Exactly, Mikey. I’d be happy to put that very large section of Asian “traditional medicine” set aside for “aphrodisiacs”–that depend on endangered animal parts and other grossness, like extracting bile from bears painfully–permanently out of business. Give them all the Cialis and Viagra they want.
Comment by Mikey NTH on 12/27 @ 7:11 pm #
You got it John A2. You just tell them that with this little blue pill that your Ghenghis…Khan! (two fingers point at dude in true seventies style, mirrored ball spinning overhead) Oh yeah, baby! Denny Terrio is coming to your yurt! You don’t have to wear polyester leisure suits to get your own Dance Fever in your pants!
The machismo of South America has nothing on these guys. Really.
(I’ll try to be good from now on.)
Comment by Jeffersonian on 12/27 @ 9:12 pm #
Pedophilia, no medical license, marital rape….c’mon, southpaws, how about a little honesty for a change. Swat the stalking horses on the ass and admit you don’t like this because it works, and what works for the US militry is your worst nightmare because it means the US’s interests are advancing. And we can’t have that, can we?
Comment by assclown on 12/28 @ 11:11 pm #
I don’t have a problem with this.