The Arabic news channel Al-Arabiya reports that the CIA gives Viagra, the male potency drug, to tribal patriarchs in Afghanistan in exchange for intelligence on the Taliban. Apparently, providing these pills is yielding better results than traditional incentives, such as money or weapons.
Demand for the “little blue pill” has risen in the Middle East in recent years. Palestinians in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have made a fortune by smuggling Viagra via subterranean tunnels from Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. Saudi Arabia also has a thriving black market for the erectile dysfunction drug. According to one report, the Wahhabi kingdom is the primary regional consumer of the pill.
The rising demand for Viagra in these societies underscores the hypocrisy of Islamists who purport to hate American innovation and culture. Often, these societies represent some of America’s best customers.
