Afghanistan Expects Bumper Crop of Opium Poppy

Associated Press | 4-29-03 | Kathy Gannon

[dommie]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) - Mohammed Din said he had two choices to survive Afghanistan's crushing poverty: beg or grow poppies.

Despite a countrywide ban by Afghan President Hamid Karzai, he chose poppies - the crop used to make heroin.

The United Nations says Din is not alone.

Afghanistan is expected to have a bumper harvest this season and produce about 4,000 tons of opium, making it the world's No. 1 producer again, a record it had held prior to the eradication of poppies by the Taliban rulers in 2001.

A preliminary survey of 134 districts of Afghanistan, carried out last month by both the United Nations and the Afghan anti-narcotics division, showed a rise in poppy production even in areas not previously known for the crop.

Nearly 80 percent of Bamiyan province is growing poppies as well as much of central Ghor province -- neither poppy-growing areas in the past, says Nasir Ahmed, of the U.N. Drug Agency in southern Kandahar.

Ahmed trained dozens of Afghan men on how to question farmers, without getting them angry and getting thrown off their fields. Responses will be included in a survey over the next four months.

"There is a way to ask the questions, to make the farmers understand that by answering the questions they are not going to have their crops destroyed," Ahmed said. "The surveyor learns how to explain to the elders that we are here just to ask questions."

With eight children to feed, scarce water supplies and hardly any money, Din isn't listening to Karzai's order to stop growing poppies.

"We have no choice. if the government destroys our fields there will be nothing left for us to do, but to beg," he said squatting over his parched earth.

Whether he grows wheat or poppies, Din has to pay roughly $60 a month to run the pump that brings water to his land. He said he gets 50 cents for a bushel of wheat that costs him $1.10 to produce mostly because of the cost of diesel to irrigate the land.

Din farms in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province, one of the biggest opium-producing regions in the country. The other big producer is Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province.

Workers get $1.50 a day to slit the poppy bulb and collect the juice. Harvesting wheat pays the seasonal laborer barely $2 a month.

On either side of the main road that stretches from the Pakistan border of Torkham to Jalalabad, the Nangarhar provincial capital, poppies flutter in the midmorning breeze. Nangarhar produces more than 25 percent of all poppies grown in Afghanistan.

One farmer made a feeble attempt at hiding his crop by hanging white sheets on a nearby line. But elsewhere they were flourishing in the open.

In the last years of Taliban rule poppy growing was gradually eliminated - 15 percent one year, 30 per cent the next. In the final year, it was virtually wiped out.

But when the Taliban collapsed in November 2001, some farmers ripped out their wheat crop and re-planted poppies.

Nasir said weaning farmers off poppy requires a massive investment in infrastructure - roads to allow farmers to bring their harvested wheat to market; dams to provide water for irrigation; schools and health clinics to improve village living.

In southern Kandahar, the former Taliban heartland, Shafi Ullah, the provincial government's point man on drugs, says farmers have no money, are deeply in debt and will not easily give up growing poppies.

Last year the international community was providing roughly $350 to each farmer not to grow poppies. Some took the money which was given in check form but later discovered they couldn't cash the check, Ullah said. "There are no working banks here. There was nowhere for them to go to cash the money. It was just a worthless piece of paper."

This year Karzai vetoed a financial incentive to farmers, demanding an immediate end to the cultivation and promising infrastructure reconstruction.

"But the government itself has no money. The United Nations and the world is promising us help, but in the provinces they haven't done anything for the farmers," Ullah said.

Now he has his order to destroy crops, but he is worried it could mean a bitter confrontation with the farmers.

"We have warned the farmers two and three times. We have told them it is prohibited completely. Now we are going to have to destroy crops, but in my thinking it will cause problems," he said.

[dommie]

So what becomes of the "Drugs fund Terror" ads? Down the memory hole I guess. That's assuming that the Taliban *is* a terror group *and* they fund terrorism. I guess this blows a hole in that theory.

[TigerLikesRooster]

RE #1

In case of Taliban, no. Taliban is a problem because they propped up Al Qaeda who drove planes into WTC. Afghans has been doing opium trade for a long time. The best you could hope for is some kind of containment.

But other terrorists group are using druge trade to pay for their operation expense. FARC(Colombian cocaine), and Hezbollah(opium from Bekka Valley) are such groups.

[Fledermaus]

And North Korea.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #3

Yes, to me, N. Korea is a terrorist regime. But I thought that some cranks will make issue out of whether N. Korea is really a terrorist regime. I want to avoid unnecessary distraction. I ran across some folks who would go at great length to discredit any military action against terrorist regime or organization. I am just trying to save bandwith here.:)

[txdoda]

I'm with you....Our *tax-dollars* spent on "Drugs fund
Terror" ads, after BILLIONS of our tax-dollars spent to
free Afghanstan so that they might now produce a BUMPER
crop of opium poppy.

Looks like were going to have to up the budget (now abt.
2 BILLION per year) to continue our NEVER ENDING so-called
*war on drugs* and also FUND the "war on terror", which
we have been told will take years.

Somebody needs to "follow the money" on this SCAM

[tkathy]

They should burn the fields and put these idiots in prison. It's no excuse to whine that they are poor.

[LizardQueen]

Just curious - where do the drug companies get their raw opium to make into morphine, etc? I wonder if some sort of legal deal could be swung that would help both sides. Cheap raw materials for the pharm companies, money for the Afghans, and heroin kept off the streets here in the US.

LQ

[rhombus]

I'm afraid that looking the other way on the poppies is the price we paid for the Northern Alliance. It's a dirty job making these tradeoffs... still I'd rather have the Taliban out of there.

Still the war on drugs is a "feel good" waste of money, as George Carlin said... "just give us the pot"

Booze kills :-)

[GailA]

Time for the military to get out some SUPER DUPER WEED KILLER. Stop it at it's source.

[American in Israel]

Fly over the field and cluster bomb it, hopefully with the scumbag farmer in it. Given a choice between poisoning his neighbor or begging, begging is the honorable professon. The punishment for being a opium grower is death by airmail.

[arete]

Just curious - where do the drug companies get their raw opium to make into morphine, etc? I wonder if some sort of legal deal could be swung that would help both sides. Cheap raw materials for the pharm companies, money for the Afghans, and heroin kept off the streets here in the US.

Law of supply and demand. Introduce another buyer like the drug companies, and all you will do is get more supply. Just like anything else.

Richard W.

[MrLeRoy]

poisoning his neighbor

How does an opium grower "poison" anyone? Does an alcohol distiller "poison" his customers?

[George W. Bush]

This shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with the CIA and the Golden Triangle in Indochina in the Sixties. Or the drugrunning that went on under the cover of supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. Just ask Ollie North.

[salmon76]

Agent Orange? OK, maybe something a little more user friendly.

[TLBSHOW]

ping

[Free the USA]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[robertpaulsen]

"Nasir said weaning farmers off poppy requires a massive investment in infrastructure"

Is that right? Seems to me that the Taliban accomplished this without a huge expenditure on infrastructure.

Granted, they had to spend a little more on ammunition, but hey.

[FactQuest]

Yeah, I mean, whose in charge over there? Who's been allowing this? What we need is regime change in Afghanistan...

[panaxanax]

The entire War on Drugs program is a scam on the American taxpayer. After all these years of fighting drugs, there are more that make it into the U.S. than ever before.

I read that during the campaign in Afghanistan, our pilots were told to avoid bombing the poppy fields because it would disrupt the local economy , such as it is. Bin Laden was making millions by exporting the raw product(opium) which is the manufactured into Morphine & Heroin.

[robertpaulsen]

"prior to the eradication of poppies by the Taliban rulers in 2001."

According to the article, there were no poppy fields to bomb.

[Wolfie]

That's the resounding theme of the last 40 years: American military involvement leads to increased drug trade.

[Search4Truth]

"Just curious - where do the drug companies get their raw opium to make into morphine, etc? I wonder if some sort of legal deal could be swung that would help both sides. Cheap raw materials for the pharm companies, money for the Afghans, and heroin kept off the streets here in the US. "

Yours is the most rational solution on this thread, and stands in stark contrast to the scorched or salted earth solutions.

[MD_Willington_1976]

Round-Up

[jmc813]

WOD Ping

[GailA]

Just standard weed killer in XXX strength would do it. I bought a bottle of grass/weed killer this week..Round UP works real well on pesky weeds and grass for me. Real cheap at $16 per pre-mix gallon bottle to get rid of that poison dope.

[dcwusmc]

The same poison dope that provides the raw materials for codeine, morphine, Vicodin and many other vital pain-killing drugs. Are you SURE you wanna go there? If so, when you have surgery or any type of major pain, be sure to tell your doctors that you want NO pain meds of ANY sort. After all, someone, somewhere, might abuse them.

[American in Israel]

How does an opium grower "poison" anyone? Does an alcohol distiller "poison" his customers?

Simple. An Alcohol distiller produces a substance that is not addictive by itself. The effects may be addictive, but then I find red convertibles addictive. But Opium is addictive and destructive to everyone who takes it. There is no doubt to the end of the subject of opium user. The only regulator on the amount of destruction is the ammount of usage or lack of it.

Of course you knew all this, you just have your knickers in a knot because you are trapped in a self-destructive cycle and wish to lash out and excuse your actions.

[dommie]

whoah, whoah, whoah! are you smoking crack (or opium)? alcohol is way up there in the addictive category. i guess you haven't read much on the subject or been to an AA meeting or two, but you can't just poo-poo it. come on now. that would be ignoring scientific fact.

i'm not saying people aren't responsible for their actions, very much the opposite.

i think it's actually good that afghanistan is producing mass quantities of opium. what would you do if you were a farmer there? at least the agricultural community has half a shot at climbing out of this mess. if not there, the market will just move somewhere else (colombia, china, pakistan, etc.).

and what's with the "knickers in a knot"?? you don't sound like an american in isreal... more like a bloody brit. you wanker.

[steelie]

I still can't figure out how they get two crops in the northern hemispere in less than 10 months.

We weren't there for the last Taliban prohibition and the crop can not have ripened by mid April?????

[American in Israel]

Yes many people become addicted to alcohol, but not all do. However everyone who takes opium does become addicted, so the growing of opium is directly linked to the destruction of someone, many someone’s.

My point from the beginning, which you are wiggling as hard as a worm on a hook to avoid, is the very accountability you are claiming. The grower of people poison is accountable, and should be punished just like any other mass murderer.

To try an link this to alcohol is very weak at best. Why not punish the Automakers for making cars, after all a leading cause of death is auto accidents.

i think it's actually good that afghanistan is producing mass quantities of opium.

Well then by all means buy all you can for you and your family and while boosting the Afghanistan heroin markets, you can cleanse the gene pool of the human race at the same time!

On another issue that you have brought up, I am American, I just have a larger vocabulary than you allow your self due to your bigotry.

You are all for opium, against distilleries and hate people because they say knickers... Strange sort, my guess, liberal.

(I chose knickers to keep from using panties as it was demeaning. I guess I chose wrong. I chose ‘Strange sort’ to press your bigot button again because I have decided I do not like you. I explained all this in this little section because with out big signs pasted everywhere you could not find a clue if I pasted it on your nose. OK? Wouldn't want another misunderstanding, as all points made are welcome to be shared by other liberals where not voided by law, all opinions are the property of the owner and not necessarily from the Management of Free Republic.)

[American in Israel]

Very good point! How can the crop be in and ready so fast!!!

Hats off for seeing the obvious that we all missed.

[MrLeRoy]

everyone who takes opium does become addicted

False. According to research cited by the Institute of Medicine, of all those who have ever used heroin, 77% never became dependent.

[American in Israel]

You bet your life on it. Every heroin user I ever saw was destroyed. 100% of them. But that point we can disagree on.

Just think, if this little poppy grower grows enough poppys to feed 10,000 addicts, and he only kills off 7,777 of them. Why by all means, feel sorry for him. How much better that he kill a few thousand people, than have to lower his pride and grow tomatoes, begging to make up the difference.

Get a clue. The difference is one, he is living the lifestyle of a drug lord, the other a poor farmer. But at least he does not have the blood of thousands on his hands.

Only a liberal could hug him for being a "po widdle mass killer."

[MrLeRoy]

Every heroin user I ever saw was destroyed. 100% of them.

"Every heroin user I ever saw" is not a random sample, and therefore cannot reliably be extrapolated to the entire population of heroin users---Statistics 101.

he only kills off 7,777 of them

He no more kills off users of his product than do distillers of alcohol.

Only a liberal could hug him

I haven't seen anyone proposing to hug him.

[American in Israel]

You are being deliberately obtuse for reasons of your own. I suggest you compare the results of addiction to alcohol and the result of addiction to opium or heroin for starters.

For round two compare the statistical likelyhood of becoming addicted to alcohol vs the likely hood of becoming addicted to heroin or opium.

My observation of your reasoning, is that when discussing the likely hood being crushed to death you observe that a fly and an elephant are of equal danger as they are both alive. You clearly are ignoring the scale to excuse the impossible.

[Wolfie]

All he did was point out the fallacy in your statement that 100% of the people who try opium become addicted. How is that being obtuse?

[MrLeRoy]

I suggest you compare the results of addiction to alcohol and the result of addiction to opium or heroin for starters.

Are you suggesting that they differ? How?

For round two compare the statistical likelyhood of becoming addicted to alcohol vs the likely hood of becoming addicted to heroin or opium.

According to research cited by the Institute of Medicine, of all those who have ever used heroin, 23% became dependent, whereas for alcohol the figure is 15%---smaller but not drastically so.

[American in Israel]

Put your money where your mouth is, live by your statistics and stop drinking beer and start up with heroin. Get back to me in a year, no sooner. Plonk

[MrLeRoy]

live by your statistics and stop drinking beer and start up with heroin

I use no drugs, including the deadly addictive drugs alcohol and tobacco.

[American in Israel]

Suddenly the Institute of medicine statistics switch from 77% dependency to 23% a perfect 180% statistical flip flop. So which Institute of medicine do I listen to, the one in Haight Ashbury or the Larry, Curley and Moe Institute of higher Medicine...

Sorry I am not so brain dead that I can no longer think and do not get stars in my eyes when you wave the magic wand of statistics.

Got toss down a heroin double and tell me all about it.

Your reasoning is ludicris and your motives suspect. To find yourself defending an opium grower and attacking a guy brewing up a beer in the same breath is a sign of another "Institute of higher learning" public school.

Plonk, whoh dude, thats my head...

[American in Israel]

I missread your statistical proof that heroin almost as harmless as alcohol. I think it would come as a suprise to drug rehab centers around the world. Why I just know hundreds of heroin and opium users that are successful buisness men... NOT! Har har har...

[MrLeRoy]

Suddenly the Institute of medicine statistics switch from 77% dependency to 23% a perfect 180% statistical flip flop.

No switch, genius---learn to read:

#32: "of all those who have ever used heroin, 77% never became dependent"

#37: "of all those who have ever used heroin, 23% became dependent"

[MrLeRoy]

I missread your statistical proof that heroin almost as harmless as alcohol. I think it would come as a suprise to drug rehab centers around the world.

It would come as no surprise to those rehab centers that also treat alcoholics.

Why I just know hundreds of heroin and opium users that are successful buisness men... NOT! Har har har...

What you personally have seen does not define all of reality.

[berserker]

Merza Shah, 34, right, who used to live as a refugee with his family in Pakistan, smokes opium as his wife Kamela, 27, and family watch him in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Friday, May 16, 2003. Afghanistan is expected to have a bumper harvest this season and produce about 4,000 tons of opium, making it the world's No. 1 producer again, a record it had held prior to the eradication of poppies by the Taliban rulers in 2001. When the Taliban regime collapsed in November 2001, some farmers ripped out their wheat crop and re-planted poppies. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)