Afghanistan's Drug Problem

[davidbfpo]

Maybe this reflects a policy taken by default as the decisions were made lower and lower down the command chain. A short article on the US Army's last planned brigade deployment in Kandahar Province:http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013...n-poppies/all/

The last two paragraphs:

The Americans changed their approach to poppies in order to win over the countless Afghans who need poppies to survive.

In that sense it might be too late for America’s hands-off poppy policy to work. As Gackstatter and his 2nd Platoon are learning, the war over Afghan poppies was probably lost years ago. And the U.S., now eying the exit after more than a decade of battle, is the loser.

[davidbfpo]

A short BBC report, by its experienced reporter, David Loyn; which opens with:

Afghan opium cultivation has reached a record level, with more than 200,000 hectares planted with the poppy for the first time, the United Nations says. The UNODC report said the harvest was 36% up on last year, and if fully realised would outstrip global demand. Most of the rise was in Helmand province, where British troops are preparing to withdraw. One of the main reasons the UK sent troops to Helmand was to cut opium production.

Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-24919056

No real surprises here.

I would strongly disagree with opium production being a 'main reason' for the 2006 UK decision to deploy to Helmand. In one Whitehall discussion, at RUSI, one speaker stated drugs did not even appear as a reason and no-one consulted on that aspect.