An American soldier greets local children in a poppy field in Helmand province, Afghanistan, May 8, 2011 (ISAF)
The Russian Foreign Ministry has released a statement warning of a sharp deterioration of the drug situation in Afghanistan (source):
We regret to note that the drug situation in Afghanistan continues to worsen. According to expert estimates, a sharp increase in drug production is expected in 2017. The areas under drug crops in Afghanistan have already exceeded last year’s figures, and about a third of the country’s population is involved in the cultivation of opium poppy.
The volume of Afghan drug trafficking is not decreasing, while its geography has expanded, in particular, to African countries. The so-called Balkan route (Pakistan-Iran-Turkey-Europe) has been intensified. A growing number of narcotic substances from Afghanistan are supplied to Europe via Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine.
At the same time, tonnes of precursors for the manufacture of narcotic substances are illegally imported to Afghanistan each year. Moreover, according to information from Afghan sources, such countries as Italy, France and the Netherlands are among the main suppliers.
In this context, the US and NATO forces’ unwillingness or inability, despite their many years of presence in Afghanistan, to provide effective assistance to the Afghan Government in curbing drug production, which is known to be a key source of terrorism financing, causes bewilderment. According to UN estimates, the “drug economy” accounts for about half of the revenues of illegal armed groups in Afghanistan, estimated at $400 million.
We consider relevant the recommendation given by US Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction John Sopko to the American leadership on the need to develop a US anti-drug strategy in Afghanistan. Sopko’s report noting the $8.5 billion spent by Washington on the anti-drug campaign in Afghanistan points directly to its failure: drug production in Afghanistan is breaking records, and the country remains the world’s largest producer and exporter of opium.
$400 million revenue going to the armed rebels for the Afgani Opium of seems like, Chump Change. Perhaps I read it wrong.
You read it right , must be Dyncorp and Academi and the Warlords along with the CIA reaping the benefits of the operation.
Talking is cheap.
We all know that USA and the west are protecting drug dealers in Afghanistan.
So, I don’t understand why talking if nobody wants to point the real problem.
USA is like : “If I fight terrorism, nobody can suspect that I’m the one that sponsor terrorism.” USA is like : “If I make an anti-drug campain, nobody can suspect that I’m the one that protect drug dealers”.
exactly
If I fight terrorism, I control who are the terrorists.
So yes, Russia recommends that US would “develop a US anti-drug strategy in Afghanistan”.
Russia is playing double game.
As a west puppet, Afghanistan is a drug dealer just like Colombia, Mexico or Morrocco.
facts are facts.
Yes, but they are USA-employees, that is all. Have you seen the documental “Kill the Messenger” ?
more opium production in Afghanistan = more money for the CIA for the covert support and arming of terrorist groups in Syria. I hope this has stopped now under Trump.
Why alluding ? Tell that the afghan gov with the help of USA and the west is protecting and helping drug dealers.
I am fed up with double game.
And Trump will do nothing about that. he is too stupid and hypocrit. And, he will go in less than 3 years. Just a passenger.
Trump is in the final stages of full neocon control, he is now a puppet.
Have faith my friends. Trump is no fool. I think he is aware that the people around him are not his people. Bannon leaving and declaring war on Trump’s enemies will be a positive.
So, he is either as bad as HRC would have been or he is much better. All in all, it is the best possible outcome of 2016.
If Hillary was elected can you imagine the situation in Syria? You foreign folks don’t understand the incredible pressure against him from media, members of his own political party, corporate America, etc.
Things can be much worse with others.
If you play double game, you will loose 100%.
Drug is a 25 billions dollars/year business ¿ who can we believe control this money ? Of course, USA-Europe. All the other countries are just employees (México, Colombia, Afghanistan, Peru, Thailand, …you name it ). Even now, Usa itself is one of the main producers.
If you decide to curb opium production, you’d better have some goddamn border control in Europe or we will be even more flooded by afghans. Yes, even more than we already are …
In Afghan Fields where US soldiers watch the poppies grow , they shakes hands with children as they walk these rows, while these future young warlords watch their fortunes grow, protected by these yankees who are there just for show. In Afghan fields these poppies grow and toss the world so, Leaving tragedy and death as if on a lark ,after it’s wake, also sorrow, midst the world that marches for this to hear the clamor from the politicos.
Just burn the damn poppy fields and end it for good for allesss
Remember who started this war for no reason: Barack Obama. I’ve always believed it was about Heroin importation. It’s coming over on airlines.
The 29 Medicaid Expansion states have TWICE The Heroin deaths.