Winning friends in Afghanistan with a little blue pill
Winning friends in Afghanistan with a little blue pill
You know those blue pills that help men overcome a certain dysfunction? The name rhymes with Niagara, and to avoid problems with your e-mail spam filter, we’ll just call it Niagara for today’s purposes.
According to the Washington Post, Niagara has been enlisted to help U.S. efforts in Afghanistan.
It seems that CIA operatives often purchase information from Afghan chieftains and other tribal officials. But payment methods can pose a problem. If the informants are paid in cash, their sudden purchasing power raises suspicions that they may be in cahoots with the CIA. And that can put a chieftain on very precarious footing.
The Post reports that some aging tribal chiefs have as many as four wives, so they’re sometimes open to “suggestions” that restore vitality and authority.
Other discreet incentives include medical care, dental care, travel visas, and school equipment.
Hey – whatever works. But if you’re an Afghan chieftain looking for a little oomph and you’d rather not risk a high-profile pharmaceutical, you might try some botanicals, such as ashwagandha root, gotu kola leaf, or panax ginseng root extract – all have been used to stimulate marital vitality. But talk to your doctor first, because your local CIA operative might not be a licensed herbalist.
Source:
“Little Blue Pills Among the Ways CIA Wins Friends in Afghanistan” Joby Warrick, Washington Post, 12/26/08, washingtonpost.com
