Viagra, not violence, as war tactic?

The Soviets did it with sexy babes.

International Man of Mystery Austin Powers did it with his mojo.

And in Afghanistan, the modern spy does it with a little blue pill - Viagra.

Like Johnny Appleseed, U.S. intelligence agents are said to be sprinkling the erectile-dysfunction drug around Afghanistan, hoping it will arouse a desire to get into bed with American forces.

The strategy is a twist on an age-old spy maneuver: Curry favor with people you need - in this case, tribal leaders with many wives, and reputations for virility to protect - with thrills and pills.

"This is absolutely nothing new," said David Baron, chair of Temple University's department of psychiatry and behavioral science. "When they were dealing with the Indians to get Manhattan Island, this is how they did it."

It's not clear how extensively the CIA is handing out Viagra, but experts on human behavior, spy games and the Middle East say the tactic speaks volumes about the kind of war we are fighting and about Viagra's place in the zeitgeist.

In countries like Afghanistan, helping aging leaders hold onto their alpha-male status is a valuable way to win friends and influence people.

"It's important for them to continue to have children into their 70s and 80s to show they are powerful," said Robert Baer, a retired CIA officer and author of several books on intelligence.

Jamie Reidy, author of Hard Sell, a book about his days as a Viagra salesman, said he admired one CIA agent's ability to get a tribal leader to take Viagra.

"When I sold Viagra in this country, it was hard enough to get them to admit they had a problem," he said of the American male. "And then, if it worked, admitting that was like opening yourself up twice."

According to the Washington Post, which first reported the story, the Afghan experiment went down like this:

A CIA agent in a remote part of Afghanistan saw an opportunity when a local leader mentioned his four wives. The agent determined that the leader was in good health, and he offered some Viagra.

Four days later, the operative returned.

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

The Afghan leader also offered information about Taliban movements and supply routes, along with a request for more pills.

The story is amusing, but peace through potency may never conquer poverty and violence. Top U.S. military leaders have warned of the risk of a return to power by al-Qaeda and the Taliban, even if the Obama administration makes good on plans to add up to 30,000 troops there.

"This tells me what we're up against there," Baer said. "We're outgunned. It's a sign of desperation. What good does Viagra do against car bombs and Kalashnikovs?"

Intelligence agencies have long used nonviolent means to have their way in war zones, he added. When he was with the CIA, he helped fly informants to the Mayo Clinic for medical care.

Since its introduction 10 years ago, Viagra has been taken by 35 million men. It has become one of those drugs, like Valium or Prozac, imbued with meaning far beyond its medical use.

For better or worse, Viagra has spawned:

A new view of male sexual performance. Impotence no longer results in a trip to the psychiatrist's couch. Expectations for frequent sex are so high that some men carry Viagra along for a night on the town.

The perception that the drug can enhance other kinds of performance. The World Anti-Doping Agency is investigating whether Viagra creates an unfair advantage on the playing field.

Assurances from Bob Dole that Bob Dole can still get his groove on.

People have developed such a casual view of many drugs that they forget that all of them can have dangerous side effects.

If men with heart problems take Viagra, for example, they risk a heart attack, though doctors believe the sexual activity, not the drug, stresses the heart. Men who take nitrates for chest pain could die if they take Viagra. A handful of men who have taken Viagra have gone blind.

"As long as people are careful, it's a pretty safe drug, considering the side effects of some other drugs," said Jack Mydlo, chair of Temple University's urology department. "The nice thing about it is it keeps the tubes primed. You have a better chance of having an erection later down the road because you've primed the pump, so to speak."

And, finally, an apology for intended and unintended double entendres in this article. They were impossible to avoid in a tale that brings new meaning to words like insurrection.

When Reidy sold Viagra, the risk of being risque was such an occupational hazard that he trained himself to avoid double meanings.

"You'd say something like, 'This doctor is a real straight-shooter,' and you'd have to catch yourself."