Finally - good news from Afghanistan
Bill Irwin
billi@aloha.net
Fri, 25 Jan 2002 08:00:26 -1000
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Looks like Afghani drugs are going to be cheaper in the future. I hope =
they can start producing that Afghani hash again!!
from =
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=3D116264
Main drug control agency in Kabul is evicted
By Patrick Cockburn in Kabul
25 January 2002
Despite promises to crack down on the drugs trade, the new Afghan =
government has evicted the main drug control agency from its =
headquarters in Kabul and taken its vehicles.
"They literally threw us into the street," said Mir Najibullah Shams, =
the Secretary-General of the State High Commission for Drug Control. "I =
don't have a phone to call up commanders in the provinces. They didn't =
even leave us with a bicycle."
The contempt with which the new Afghan administration has treated its =
main drugs agency bodes ill for any attempt to curtail opium and heroin =
production in Afghanistan. This is despite promises by the new =
administration at the summit on aid to Afghanistan in Tokyo this week =
that it would try to reduce the flow of narcotics out of the country in =
return for $4.5bn (=A33.2bn) from donors.
Afghanistan is the world's largest exporter of heroin and provides about =
80 per cent of Western Europe's supply and an even higher proportion of =
heroin used in Russia and Central Asia. Between a third and a half of =
the Afghan population is believed by experts to be involved in growing, =
producing or trafficking in narcotics.
Mr Shams, who has taken refuge in a room in the Afghan Foreign Ministry, =
showed a number of maps illustrating the huge increase in the =
mid-nineties in the number of provinces growing opium poppies. Mullah =
Omar, the Taliban leader, had successfully banned the planting of =
poppies in 1999, but the collapse of central government control in much =
of Afghanistan in the last two months may mean that farmers will once =
again produce opium.
The former headquarters of the High Commission for Drug Control is a =
substantial three-storey building which has been taken over by a =
newspaper called Payam-I-Mujaihid which supports the government. Mr =
Shams admits that its 300 employees were never able to do very much =
about narcotics because "until you solve the problems of the Afghan =
farmers they will produce drugs. What do you expect them to do when they =
are dressed in rags and their children have nothing to eat?"=20
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<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Looks like Afghani drugs are going to be cheaper in =
the=20
future. I hope they can start producing that Afghani hash=20
again!!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>from <A=20
href=3D"http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=3D=
116264">http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia_china/story.jsp?story=3D=
116264</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>
<H1>Main drug control agency in Kabul is evicted</H1>
<H3>By Patrick Cockburn in Kabul</H3>
<H4>25 January 2002</H4>
<P>Despite promises to crack down on the drugs trade, the new Afghan =
government=20
has evicted the main drug control agency from its headquarters in Kabul =
and=20
taken its vehicles.</P>
<P>"They literally threw us into the street," said Mir Najibullah Shams, =
the=20
Secretary-General of the State High Commission for Drug Control. "I =
don't have a=20
phone to call up commanders in the provinces. They didn't even leave us =
with a=20
bicycle."</P>
<P>The contempt with which the new Afghan administration has treated its =
main=20
drugs agency bodes ill for any attempt to curtail opium and heroin =
production in=20
Afghanistan. This is despite promises by the new administration at the =
summit on=20
aid to Afghanistan in Tokyo this week that it would try to reduce the =
flow of=20
narcotics out of the country in return for $4.5bn (=A33.2bn) from =
donors.</P>
<P>Afghanistan is the world's largest exporter of heroin and provides =
about 80=20
per cent of Western Europe's supply and an even higher proportion of =
heroin used=20
in Russia and Central Asia. Between a third and a half of the Afghan =
population=20
is believed by experts to be involved in growing, producing or =
trafficking in=20
narcotics.</P>
<P>Mr Shams, who has taken refuge in a room in the Afghan Foreign =
Ministry,=20
showed a number of maps illustrating the huge increase in the =
mid-nineties in=20
the number of provinces growing opium poppies. Mullah Omar, the Taliban =
leader,=20
had successfully banned the planting of poppies in 1999, but the =
collapse of=20
central government control in much of Afghanistan in the last two months =
may=20
mean that farmers will once again produce opium.</P>
<P>The former headquarters of the High Commission for Drug Control is a=20
substantial three-storey building which has been taken over by a =
newspaper=20
called <I>Payam-I-Mujaihid </I>which supports the government. Mr Shams =
admits=20
that its 300 employees were never able to do very much about narcotics =
because=20
"until you solve the problems of the Afghan farmers they will produce =
drugs.=20
What do you expect them to do when they are dressed in rags and their =
children=20
have nothing to eat?" </P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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