This is how Viagra was used to entice warlords in Afghanistan

In a foreign policy world full of different carrots and sticks, the CIA used an interesting incentive to dangle from a pole of enticements: Viagra.

Where money and guns have been the traditional tools of clandestine diplomacy, the New York Times' CIA sources say the big blue pill was renowned by aging Afghan warlords who have multiple wives to satisfy.

Running money to informants is difficult for the Agency. To keep their assets in place (that is to say, to keep them alive and feeding information) money isn't always the best motivator. According to the New York Times' CIA source, the informant will run out and buy conspicuous items with his new funds.

It won't be hard to figure out where he got those funds.

Guns are another troublesome carrot for potential informants. The CIA has to assume that – in the Afghan world of fluid allegiances – any arms given to today's ally could be used against American troops by tomorrow's enemy.

So a magic blue pill that revitalizes an aging man's libido while invigorating the same man's ego is a perfect way to cement an uneasy alliance. The nature of the gift keeps the reward from being too obvious or flashy while at the same time, not being something potentially dangerous to U.S. troops in the country.

Other potential incentives for Afghan assets include medical procedures they can't get in Afghanistan, such as the bypass surgery given to one warlord, as reported by the Washington Post.

While Viagra is relatively well-known in Afghanistan (and reportedly sold in markets in the country), CIA officers operating in remote areas have to earn the trust of tribal leaders and be careful not to offend their religious sensibilities when making the initial pitch.

They also have to be careful not to offend anyone's ego when explaining just what the pill does.

No word on whether Cialis is planning an expansion into the Afghan marketplace.