The United States has announced a new drug policy for opium-rich Afghanistan, saying it was phasing out funding for eradication programs while significantly increasing its funding for alternate crop and drug interdiction efforts.
The U.S. envoy for Afghanistan, Richard Holbrooke, told The Associated Press on Saturday that eradication programs weren’t working and were only driving farmers into the hands of the Taliban.
“Eradication is a waste of money,” Holbrooke said on the sidelines of a Group of Eight foreign ministers’ meeting on Afghanistan, during which he briefed regional representatives on the new policy.
The G-8 ministers “strongly appreciated” the shift, which also includes an increase in annual U.S. funding for agricultural development from a few million dollars to a few hundred million dollars, said Foreign Minister Franco Frattini of Italy, the current G-8 president.
Another good initiative by the Obama Administration.
Win the hearts and minds of the people if you really want to win the war was the biggest lesson from Viet Nam.
They should just export to Afghanistan a bunch of those opium addicted wallabies who waste their time making crop circles in Australia and the problem will be eaten away. Additional benefit: good wallaby meat for the population, after all those are not considered unclean in Muslim tradition.
Um? If we can legally buy the stuff for medical use from other countries why not Afganistan? They may even work cheaper.
Besides unless you are willing to terminate the users you can’t stop the trade.
In a rational/secular minded momment I might be willing to tell somebody else to do that but most people would object especially the junkies, dealers and their friends, families and the people they pay off.
I don’t have any big hopes for the interdiction programs stopping the trade but if you can make more money growing chickens than poppies a lot of people will grow chickens.
How to completely SOLVE the poppy problem in Afghanistan:
Buy the entire crop from the farmers directly. No Taliban, no middle men.
Put in an order for the next crop to be 50% opium, 50% petunias (or whatever).
Buy the entire next crop. And the next. Get Big Flower involved.
After less time and money than has already been spent, you’ll OWN the farmers and Afghanistan will be a better place.
I’m really dubious that companies couldn’t come up with herbicides to target plants like poppys, coca, and cannabis. They make herbicides to kill certain kinds of grasses but not others and things like that but they can’t make herbicides to kill plants that are used in creating illegal drugs? I haven’t ever seen a story on companies even trying to develop herbicides like that.
I really the idea encouraging people to grow opinion in Afghanistan, then slowly start exporting our drug addicts to the country which can become a sorta a hard core Amsterdam. With a bit of luck, druggies and Taliban will end up at war, the Taliban will wipe out the druggies, then once they’ve done that we can wipe out the Taliban because they’ve killing our civilians. Everyone wins!
Opium wine, anyone? Hmmmmm.
This type of strategy change has been tried before and neither one of the strategies works. Opium growing pays too much when compared to growing normal food crops and unless we’re willing to start depopulating Afghanistan, the muslim way, then we aren’t going to do anything.
The only thing Muslims understand in Afghanistan understand is death, it’s the only thing they respect. They are not Western in their culture and to assume that they have the same values and precept is a mistake. And just in case if someone thinks everyone wants to live, you’re wrong. Some people want to get 72 virgins in the next life.
Just in case someone likes buying ‘the crop idea’, remember when you buy something you bring about it’s increased production.
Whatever……………………
Traaxx
ok,
so what are we doing..
telling them that selling a crop of drugs is less important then growing food products that get about 25% of the profit?
Or are we going to pay TOP USA dollar for the food they grow.
Umm, then who we going to sell it to, and loose money…of ship it home and EAT IT(in more then 1 way)
#6, jccalhoun, ever heard of Paraquat? I guess not. It was sprayed on marijuana crops located in Mexico during the 1970s, giving rise to the term Paraquat Pot. Also, herbicides are toxic not only to plants but humans as well. Ever heard of Agent Orange? I guess not. There’s no conspiracy.
Why not hand over the government of Afghanistan to a religious organization that has a zero tolerance for drugs.
Does anyone have any records of how much opium was traded during the Taliban rule compared to now?
Of course, there is the ‘Just Say No’ campaign. Spend some more money and make it world wide.
I’m sure the farmers do make more selling opium than grain but how much more? A lot of middle men are taking a mighty big cut.
I did have one ugly thought. Germ warfare on the plant however this is an important analgesic. You may want some when you are badly injured or dying.
The CIA will buy the entire load and sell it at top dollar to fund yet another illegal war in, let’s see, Iran?
ever heard of Paraquat? I guess not. It was sprayed on marijuana crops located in Mexico during the 1970s, giving rise to the term Paraquat Pot. Also, herbicides are toxic not only to plants but humans as well. Ever heard of Agent Orange? I guess not. There’s no conspiracy.
I never heard of paraquat pot. However, both paraquat and agent orange are wide range herbicides that pretty much kill all pants. Unless you only eat certified organic vegetables then every fruit and vegetable you eat has had herbicide used on it to kill “undesirable” plants.
Contaminate the imported opium with E-Coli. When enough addicts die of horrible intestinal pain and trauma. Then it won’t be thought so cool to be an addict. And the trust in the illegal drug trade will be completely destroyed. Which will kill the trafficking, at least in the US. What works for peanut butter and pistachios, should work for opium.
#15, Hi jccalhoun, my point was there is no need for targeted herbicides because there are extant herbicides which do the job. These crops are usually grown in large fields, so non-selectivity is not an issue. Yes, herbicides and pesticides are found on all produce, but I doubt anyone would argue it’s good for you.
“Our” drug policy?
Time to get out of Doge. The place is a black hole for cash.
A few days ago, Dvorak had this article.
In the article it mentions that Australia supplies about 50% of the world’s legally-grown opium used to make morphine and other painkillers.
Why can’t Afghanistan do the same thing? Yes, I realize that would mean competition for Australia, but isn’t that what free-trade and capitalism are all about?
#20..
Sooo true…
in TRUE capitalism…YES
#10, “telling them that selling a crop of drugs is less important then growing food products that get about 25% of the profit?
Or are we going to pay TOP USA dollar for the food they grow.”
The United States would rather dump our own subsidy created agriculture surpluses on other countries’ economies, lowering the incentives for local growers. Get with the program.
Afghan heroin pays Swedish and American weapons. Countries like Turkey, Pakistan, India and others who are involved in heroin trade, are paying/buying weapons with money that comes from heroin trade. It´s simple as that!
The Swedish gov. has a major part in all wars and conflicts.