Afghan Opium Eradication Plan Continues

Yet another example of how our rediculous and racist drug war is tied to the loosely defined "War on Terror". As a conservative and a social worker I can tell you that Western governments, especially the United States would save more money and cure more people afflicted with drug addiction if we would stop investing the lion share of resources in policing and erradicating the drug trade and instead concentrate on treatment and on education. It's a simple fact, treatment costs less money and helps more people. The money we've spent since the inception of the Harrison Narcotics Tax Act of 1914, which was the catalyst for the "War on Drugs" has grown by leaps and bounds with nothing to show for it except a savvy drug population and cheap prison labor that looks suspiciously like slavery.

Of course the other bonus here is that now more than ever, our government can tie fighting drugs to foriegn policy by giving military aid for the sole purpose of destroying narcotics crops. It's also a great way to keep one hand on a quasi-friendly government like say Colombia. The following article from the AP talks about opium erradication in Afghanistan, which I'm sure came directly from Washington and has resulted in alienating the locals that were growing it as a cash crop. My one question about what has happened in Afghanistan is that when the Afghan troops were done destroying the fields, did anyone stick around to help ressurect a new cash crop to help the farmers or did they just leave a smoldering field and wished the locals the best of luck? One other question, I wonder where the next group of disgruntled Persians will come from to join the bevy of terrorist groups raging against Western Civilization?

Here's the story:

SANZERI, Afghanistan (AP) - Afghan police and soldiers are pressing ahead with a plan to eradicate the world's largest opium crop, moving from field to field in southern Kandahar province with cutters and large sticks as angry farmers look on.

Authorities have destroyed almost 50 acres of illegal poppy crops since Sunday in and around Sanzeri, Haji Mohammed, the local police chief, told The Associated Press.

Similar operations are under way in other parts of the country, though it will be some time until officials get a clear sense of how much of this year's crop is destroyed.

The eradication campaign was suspended April 12, its first day, when police sent to destroy poppy fields in Kandahar opened fire on rock-throwing protesters. At least seven people were hurt, though officials denied reports of fatalities.

Local and central government authorities have held meetings with tribal elders in an effort to restore calm, and it seemed to be working. On Tuesday, there was anger but no violence among the farmers as they watched officials hack through their crops.

"I had no idea whether growing this was legal or illegal," said one farmer, Mohammed Gull. "All I know is that I was about to harvest my field and now the government has destroyed everything. They have ruined me. I've lost everything."

Another farmer, Yar Mohammed, said the government has promised aid for the drought stricken region, but none had arrived.

"I have not seen it. The government should provide us with schools, roads and electricity and give us some other job we can do to make money if they don't want us to grow poppies," he said. "After this I will have no choice but to go begging for work in town to feed my family."

President Hamid Karzai has called for a "holy war" on drugs after Afghanistan's share of the market for opium, the raw material for heroin, leapt to 87 percent last year, sparking warnings that it is fast turning into a narco-state.

The president sent Gen. Mohammed Daoud, the deputy interior minister in charge of counter-narcotics, to Kandahar on Tuesday to oversee the operation.

Countries including the United States, Britain and France are training new police units to destroy poppy fields, smash drug labs and arrest smugglers while providing hundreds of millions of dollars to help farmers switch to legal crops.

But it is expected to take years to replace a crop that has powered Afghanistan's post-Taliban revival and provided a lifeline to war-impoverished rural communities.

Much of the country's opium crop is expected to be harvested in coming weeks, meaning time is of the essence. But in Kandahar, the going has been extremely slow.

Police have waited for days for the go-ahead from the governor to start eradication in other districts in the province.

Haji Mohammed, the district police official, expressed sympathy for the farmers but he said he would follow his orders.

"Certainly, the people in the area are very poor and need the help of the government and the international community," he said. "They should be given an alternative business or get help to improve their agriculture. But in accordance with our directives, we must destroy all their poppy fields.