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Posted on 06/09/2023 6:14:57 PM PDT by fluorescence
In April 2022, Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada decreed that cultivation of the poppy - from which opium, the key ingredient for the drug heroin can be extracted - was strictly prohibited. Anyone violating the ban would have their field destroyed and be penalised according to Sharia law.
A Taliban spokesman told the BBC they imposed the ban because of the harmful effects of opium - which is taken from the poppy seed capsules - and because it goes against their religious beliefs. Afghanistan used to produce more than 80% of the world's opium. Heroin made from Afghan opium makes up 95% of the market in Europe.
The BBC has now travelled in Afghanistan - and used satellite analysis - to examine the effects of the direct action on opium poppy cultivation. The Taliban leaders appear to have been more successful cracking down on cultivation than anyone ever has.
We found a huge fall in poppy growth in major opium-growing provinces, with one expert saying annual cultivation could be 80% down on last year. Less-profitable wheat crops have supplanted poppies in fields - and many farmers saying they are suffering financially.
[snip] Helmand province in the south-west used to be Afghanistan's opium heartland, producing more than half of the country's opium. We travel there independently of the Taliban's anti-narcotics unit, to see first-hand how it now looks. Last year when we were in the province, we saw swathes of land covered with poppy fields. This time we can't spot a single field of the crop.
Alcis's analysis shows that poppy cultivation in Helmand has reduced by more than 99%. "The high resolution imagery of Helmand province shows that poppy cultivation is down to less than 1,000 hectares when it was 129,000 hectares the previous year," says David Mansfield.
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
The US/CIA didn’t stop this. The Taliban did.
Heck, I was just thinking that the CIA is probably very upset at this new development. There goes another big source of funding. The Mexico cartels are going to have to step up their trafficking to make up for the shortfall.
Do have to wonder if the relative water use of poppy vs alternatives has anything to do with the recent fighting with Iran over Helmand River water.
Do have to wonder if the relative water use of poppy vs alternatives has anything to do with the recent fighting with Iran over Helmand River water.
When I was in Afghanistan we provided intra-theater C-130 support for the entire military operation. There were times we’d be flying along and see huge fields of red poppies.
There are a lot of broken hearted liberTARDians on FR tonight.
Sorry, not buying it.
You don’t believe everything posted here, I see your posts, why buy into this b.s.?
This is not the first time. The Taliban had the Poppies eradicated before the U.S. went in and replanted them.
Grapes, they have been growing grapes there for 1000s of years.
I can’t imagine any crop requiring less water than wheat.
Here we had almost zero moisture all winter and the crop looked completely lost.
It started raining in May and today the combines are rolling.
Great news! When do the Chicom fentanyl factories get bombed?
So the Taliban made a deal with the RED CHINKS, they stop opium production but get 10% of the FENTANYL PROFITS!
Probably someone told the taliban that if they just stopped the opium trade —they could make a 1000 times more extracting afghantistan’s natural resources.
The addicts have fentanyl now, I’m sure they couldn’t care less.
Grow your own.
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