Envoy damns US Afghan drug effort

[IndianaGreen]

Source: BBC News

Page last updated at 19:52 GMT, Saturday, 21 March 2009

Envoy damns US Afghan drug effort

US efforts to eradicate opium poppy crops in Afghanistan have been "wasteful and ineffective", the US envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan says.

Richard Holbrooke said the $800m (£550m) a year the US was spending on counter-narcotics would be better used in supporting Afghan farmers.

He said the US also wanted to see an increase in the numbers and capacity of Afghan police.

The US is currently conducting a review of policy on Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Efforts to eradicate poppy cultivation, Mr Holbrooke told a conference in Belgium - the Brussels Forum - had failed to make an impact on the Taleban insurgents' ability to raise money from the drugs trade.

"It hasn't hurt the Taleban one iota," he said, "because whatever money they're getting from the drugs trade, they get whatever they need whether we reduce the acreage or not."

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7957237.stm

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Finally, some common sense!

[Peace Patriot]

1. That's just what I was thinking--"Finally, some common sense."

About a month ago, I saw a Pentagon planted news story about how their mission in Afghanistan was now to stop the poppy trade.

Can't find OBL, so gotta do something. Was my thought. Keep the war profiteer booty coming.

Funny, how the Taliban stopped the poppy trade completely, and it took the U.S. military to start it up again.

Wherever the failed, corrupt, murderous U.S. "war on drugs" goes, there goes increased drug trade, chaos and death. Colombia. Mexico. Now Afghanistan.

Weird, huh?

[newfie11]

5. We can't control marijuana growth in this country

how in the hell are we going to control poppies in a war zone?

[Hestia]

2. As long as Monsanto, Cargill and AMD aren't the one's supporting the farmers

[Grinchie]

3. It would seem that buying the crop would be more effective.

I wonder how many farmers in the Afgan fields would take a portion of that 800 Million.

After all, the real money isn't made by the farmer, it's made after it is processed.

Naw, too simple, and Monsanto would be stuck with Billion's of Gallons on RoundUp that it would need to dispose of.

[No Elephants]

4. Sounds good at first blush. Would love to hear more.