Bob Woodward’s new book, “Bush at War,” offers more details on the campaign to buy victory in Afghanistan. According to an excerpt in today’s Washington Post, a senior CIA undercover agent, named Gary, flew into Afghanistan on September 26, 2001. He had a briefcase stuffed with $3 million in cash.
–“Gary’s first meeting that evening was with engineer Muhammed Arif Sawari, who headed the Alliance’s intelligence and security service…Gary placed a bundle of cash on the table: $500,000 in 10 stacks of $100 bills. He believed it would be more impressive than the usual $200,000, the best way to say: We’re here, we’re serious, here’s money, we know you need it. ‘What we want you to do is use it,’ he said. ‘Buy food, weapons, whatever you need to build your forces up.’ It was also for intelligence operations and to pay sources and agents. There was more money available — much more. Gary would soon ask CIA headquarters for and receive $10 million in cash.”
–“The next day, Sept. 27, about noon local time in the Panjshir Valley, Gary sat down with Gen. Mohammed Fahim, commander of the Northern Alliance forces, and Abdullah, the Alliance foreign minister. He put $1 million on the table, explaining that they could use it as they saw fit.”
–“The Northern Alliance was trying to induce defections from the Taliban itself, but the CIA could come in and offer cash. The agency’s hand would often be hidden as the negotiations began — $10,000 for this sub-commander and his dozens of fighters, $50,000 for this bigger commander and his hundreds of fighters. In one case, $50,000 was offered to a commander to defect. Let me think about it, the commander said. So the Special Forces A-team directed a J-DAM precision bomb right outside the commander’s headquarters. The next day, they called the commander back. How about $40,000? He accepted.”
–“In all, the U.S. commitment to overthrow the Taliban had been about 110 CIA officers and 316 Special Forces personnel, plus massive air power.”
