Hi Tony,

Quote Originally Posted by Anthony Hoh View Post
One great take away to share... In his opinion and I agree we are rebuilding Afghanistan in the wrong manner. We have this large unemployed population. And we are contracting the building of road networks out to private contractors with buldozers. He proposes we use LEP's with pick axes and shovels to do the work. I think it is a sound idea and would welcome anyones insight before I put it in the "possible CERP project box." It will have its own chalanges wth fraud, waste, delay... ButI would rather you feed your family by building a road than growing poppy or shooting a rocket at me. If anyone else could show me adown side let me know.
Darned good idea. As an adjunct to it, consider using the same type of workforce in local planning and rebuilding as well, especially at the village level. On the poppy issue, there are some pretty clear indications that the Taliban are forcing some local farmers to grow them so that NATO forces will come in to take them out and appear like occupiers. Try and contact the local doctors who practice Islamic Medicine (it's actually derived from Greek medicine via Alexander) and find out what their needs are for poppies and their byproducts. This should give you some type of figure for local medical consumption.