60 Minutes interviews CIA agents on 2001 campaign in Afghanistan

Ex-CIA operative Henry Crumpton describes using local might to oust al Qaeda and their Taliban hosts in 2001, a strategy he says is needed in Pakistan, where terrorist are hiding. Lara Logan reports.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/12/23/60minutes/main6014887.shtml?tag=contentMain;cbsCarousel

Asked what orders he gave his men, he said, “Orders were fairly simple: ‘Find al Qaeda and kill them, especially leadership. Destroy command and control. If the Afghans, including Taliban leaders wanted to help us, we are receptive.’”

“How did that work? I mean, going to each individual tribal leader one by one and offering them what? Saying what?” Logan asked.

“Well, in a very crude way, it would be a carrot and a stick. The carrot would be ‘If you come cooperate with us, we will reward you and your people.’ The stick was ‘If you do not cooperate, the chances of your survival are greatly diminished.’ And we would prove this by attacking Taliban leaders who had rejected our overtures,” Crumpton explained.

“Killing them?” Logan asked.

“Yes. And the next day, we’d talk to the tribal leader that was next door. We would make him the same offer. Given the incentive that we had set the previous day, he was much more amenable to negotiations in our favor,” Crumpton replied.

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