Posted on 12/02/2006 4:58:29 PM PST by jdm
Opium production in Afghanistan, which provides more than 90 percent of the world's heroin, broke all records in 2006, reaching a historic high despite ongoing U.S.-sponsored eradication efforts, the Bush administration reported yesterday.
In addition to a 26 percent production increase over past year -- for a total of 5,644 metric tons -- the amount of land under cultivation in opium poppies grew by 61 percent. Cultivation in the two main production provinces, Helmand in the southwest and Oruzgan in central Afghanistan, was up by 132 percent.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Having the terror war at war with the drug war suggests someone needs to be setting priorities. Is it cynical of me to think we're wasting valuable manpower and time in Afghanistan by trying to shut down part of their economy, making terrorism even more attractive?
The ''war on drugs'' is a waste of time, money, and manpower. If there is a market there will always be a supply. The money Afgans make on opium just may be enough to survive.
we got any leftover "orange' ?
The generic Round-up herbicide is only 10 bucks a gallon,that would work just fine.
Kind of seems a waste, doesn't it- waging a WOT and WOD at the same time. In the WOT, we allow the Afghanis to grow poppies for Opium, while that same Opiumin the US will net someone serious jail time...
Seems about as much a double standard as a WOT with open borders....
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