[gandalftb]

93% of the world's opium/heroin comes from Afghanistan (after all our blood, that's down from 95%!). 20% of Afghan narcotics comes from "narcotics-free" provinces.

Our families buy narcotics from the Taliban/AQ who use that money to kill our families.

There is nothing our new leader/Obama, of our military, can do in Afghanistan, a land our military/Obama can freely operate, that is more important to the lives of Americans, than stopping the farming of poppies in Afghanistan.

Thank you Brits, for seizing 38,500 pounds of poppy seeds last November.

We have this goofy policy that allows the Afghans to keep growing and harvesting it if they once can get it planted. We are only interdicting seed sales and processing after harvest.

Get on it O!

[gandalftb]

There is some progress. Thanks to the Japanese efforts in Nangarhar Province (Jalalbad), rice production has increased to 60,000 tons compared to last year's rice production of 12,000 tons. Allied and Afghan forces have caused opium production there to drop 95%.

This area used to be a major earner for the Taliban/Haqqanis.

[monday]

“Thank you Brits, for seizing 38,500 pounds of poppy seeds last November.”

ugh, yes poppy seeds on bagels are disgusting, and don't get me started with poppy seed cake..... Yes, thank you Brits, for saving the world from poppy seed horror ;^)

[08bil98z24]

There is nothing our new leader/Obama, of our military, can do in Afghanistan, a land our military/Obama can freely operate, that is more important to the lives of Americans, than stopping the farming of poppies in Afghanistan.

That's a brilliant strategy. Nothing like stopping the farming of poppies which has been grown in Afghanistan since time itself started. What a great way to win the hearts and minds of the population. Take away their cash crop and replace it with a unprofitable barely able to grow in the climate substitute.

Poppies were grown before the Soviets. Poppies were grown before the Taliban. Poppies were grown during the Taliban. Poppies are being grown after the Taliban. Poppies will always be grown in Afghanistan.

What are the afghan farmers going to grow instead? What sounds good to some experts as a replacement crop is not actually what works on the ground in the soil... I'm sure if there was a different crop they could plant to make a profit, they could. Obviously, since poppies have been grown there since the beginning of time, there are not that many alternatives.

Wouldn't a better strategy be to secure the Afghan population instead of the old WOD strategy that has been proven ineffective ... crop eradication ... look at Columbia today. The FARC is being eliminated, not because of eradicating coca leafs, but by pure military tactics. This is the WOT, not the WOD.

Finally, IMO and countless others, the poppies are not the Taliban's sole funding source. The LWJ has constantly pointed out that large amounts of Taliban and AQ funding comes from wealthy Arabs, Islamists, and foreign intelligence agencies; not to mention charities and other donations from relief agencies (fronts)

Our families buy narcotics from the Taliban/AQ who use that money to kill our families

It's always our families, our children etc.... when dealing with narcotics ...

We have this goofy policy that allows the Afghans to keep growing and harvesting it if they once can get it planted. We are only interdicting seed sales and processing after harvest.

We must eliminate all the poppies. That is a great way of eliminating support for the Taliban, and eliminating support for the government and Coalition soldiers, destroy one of the few sources of income for the population without offering an equal alternative.

Do you think we have that policy to try and prevent afghans from turning on us and turning toward the Taliban, or because we want to act "goofy"?

[SmallGovRepub]

“In the meantime, the DCA chief noted that production of cannabis had increased in Afghanistan.”