Posted on 09/27/2001 5:19:26 AM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON (AP) Opium could again flow from Afghanistan should the United States make war on terrorism in the region, U.S. and U.N. officials say.
The officials said they are concerned the ruling Taliban will lift their recent ban on poppy cultivation in its territory in an effort to raise money to finance fighting against the United States.
Harvesting of poppies for opium could also increase if the Taliban loses authority over parts of Afghanistan, because farmers would no longer fear reprisals for growing the highly profitable cash crop.
Afghanistan had been the world's leading producer of opium before the Taliban, citing Islamic religious principles, banned it in July 2000. Farmers complied, resulting in a 97 percent drop in opium production.
Opium had been an important source of revenue for the Taliban as they fought an opposition coalition in the northern part of the country, netting the group tens of millions of dollars a year, said one U.S. official.
No U.S. officials interviewed Wednesday, all of whom spoke on condition of anonymity, nor U.N. officials, said they have evidence that the ban has been lifted.
"After the 11th of September, our line of communication and information of Afghanistan has been drastically reduced," said Pino Arlacchi, executive director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.
With the next six-month growing season set to begin in October, farmers will have to choose between planting poppies or the much less profitable wheat crop.
"Hundreds of thousands of farmers are asking themselves what to plant this year: wheat or opium," Arlacchi said. "If they plant now, they will get a harvest around April or May next year. Will the Taliban be there April or May next year?"
Arlacchi said opium is a good crop for bad times because it requires little water and can be sold easily.
In 2000, Afghanistan produced about 4,000 tons of opium, accounting for about 75 percent of the world market. Almost all of it was consumed as heroin in Europe or other opiates in Asia. Most heroin sold in the United States comes from Latin America.
After the ban, production in 2001 fell to 81 tons, according to the State Department. Of those, 76 tons came from areas controlled by the northern alliance, the primary opposition to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The alliance is believed to fund its effort in part through opium trafficking, as well.
The drop in supply caused the wholesale price per pound to soar from about $15 to as high as $350, according to U.N. officials. The ban earned rare praise for the Taliban, which have been repeatedly denounced for links to terrorists, suppression of women and destruction of relics of other religions.
U.S. and international officials have remained skeptical of the Taliban's commitment to drug eradication. Some suspected the Taliban were trying to cut supply to raise prices and control the market. They also said the Taliban hadn't wiped out existing stockpiles, which the United Nations said could total 100 tons.
This week, wholesale prices fell, according to U.N. figures, leading to speculation that Afghan traffickers may already be selling their stock.
But Arlacchi said that doesn't mean the Taliban would be involved in the sales.
"Criminal groups, who are as powerful as the Taliban and as powerful as anyone else in Afghanistan, have full control of those stockpiles," he said.
Before Sept. 11, the United States had planned to provide about $2 million in aid for Afghan farmers to help compensate them for losses resulting from opium eradication.
Additional aid was considered for farmers in areas controlled by the opposition. State Department and U.N. officials said northern alliance leaders have agreed to help eradicate opium.
In March, the State Department said in its annual narcotics report that the "northern alliance has taken no action of which we are aware against cultivation and trafficking in its area."
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
I can hear it know, "We have to deal with unsavory characters, it is the nature of spying."
And we are to believe that the money they were given eradicated the production? I don't think so.
and their threat goes "poof".
Let's see, they throw out aid organizations, fail to exemplify any empathy for the acts of terror, give refuge to terrorists, attempt to place burden of proof on the innocent victims and their orphans, and now threaten to grow opiates, ...oh, but let's not forget that they seek cover behind 'Islam'.
Quite obviously, since these are such Islamic principles they adhere to, then Islam must not be a comparative religion similar to Christianity except for particular personages being worshipped. This manifests the implicit evil of that society.
All this proves is they are not scared of us yet.
After Hungary,in the 50's third world people did not make remarks about the Soviet Union much?
Rumsfeld has been openly talking about taking down at least one Arab nation in addition to Afhanistan. I hope we do it. If we do lots of people in the middle east will bow at the waste and beg to do our every wish.
And that is the name of that tune. It has been for thousands of years.
They can do what they want, we no longer base government on the consent of the people, but on majority rules. Only a majority has to "consent" to give up rights-- the republic is dead and no longer serves to limit government.
Any commodities brokers out there in Afghanistan know the current market price? < /sarcasm again >
People who are addicted to the stuff will pay any price to get it, cheap or expensive. People with good sense won't take the stuff even if you give it to them for free.
The key to eliminating this stuff is eliminating the demand, not raising the price.
Burn the opium -- we already paid for it!
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