Finally... Some Resemblance Of Reality In Afghanistan Drug Trafficking
Rumsfeld Urged To Alter Afghan Drug Trade Policy
Rumsfeld and his boss have largely ignored the issue of bumper crops of opium poppies in Afghanistan. In my view, the fact that the current crops of opium coming out of Afghanistan is prima facie evidence that the policies in Afghanistan have been munged from the gitgo. Lt. Col. (Mary) Ann Wright spoke to these issues and concerns when the invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent invasion of Iraq took place. The fact that it has taken almost five years for these issues to garner the attention of the Bush administration, never mind a few select congress critters, is evidence that no one in the Bush administration really understand the issues in Afghanistan and no one in congress has really done the job of oversight in a meaningful manner.
Of course, this is not the first time anyone has pointed out this failure to US authorities, but the past efforts to bring these matters to Rumsfeld attention resulted in a shrugging of the shoulders and a balming of the British contingency in Afghanistan for not pulling their weight because the Brits were given the primary assignment of dealing with the drug crops and trafficking issues. However, according to my sources, the US policy in Afghanistan has been to largely ignore the growing of opium poppies in light of cooperation from the ruling war lords/drug kingpins.
What is striking about this "news" is that the Bush gang pushed a PSA produced by pro-Bush anti-drug groups that touted the idea that drug trafficking was supporting terrorism world-wide. It strikes me as hypocritical and incongruous that the Bush gang could push these types of ads and yet largely ignore the very real context of drug trafficking in Afghanistan. It seems that the sale of a quantity of heroin or some other opiate in the streets of the US is less support of terrorism, especially the terrorist activities of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, than the dramatically increased production of opium in the exact locality that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are operating.
It seems to me this answer is the same as crapping in your drawers and telling someone that you only farted. If the Secretary of Defense was taking these matters seriously it would not have taken almost five years to bring these issues to his desk as a priority. These issues have been so far on the back burner and so much a bargaining chip with the war lords/drug kingpins that nothing effective has been done and the size of the opium crop has risen exponentially.
Even if those figures were off by 50% this would reveal a level of incompetent planning and ineffective operations that speaks volumes about how wrong-headed the entire Afghanistan, Iraq and "War on Terrorism" approach has been implemented.
Seems to me that we traded depotism and rigid Islamic fundamentalism and extremism for pockets of despotism and drug trafficking in regions outside of the Afghanistan capital. Have we really made an impact upon Afghanistan?
Here's an idea: Why don't we use our advanced satellite and GIS technologies to identify the poppy fields, confirm these findings with on site observation when there is a concern about the safety of innocents, and lay waste to the fields with any number of incendiary bombs that are capable of burning these fields beyond recognition? Wouldn't that solve the problem in an efficient and timely manner?
Of course, the method of eradicating this 7% of the poppy crop has been the old fashioned methods of setting them on fire when discovered on the ground. The use of satellite and GIS technologies have not been fully implemented. Nor has there been an efficient use of smart bombs with incendiary loads.
Nor can we afford to continue financing the Taliban or Al-Qaeda with profits from the sale of lucrative opium products.
A leading House Republican is urging Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld to revamp the U.S. strategy against heroin production in Afghanistan, saying record opium poppy harvests show efforts to target farmers are not working.
Rumsfeld and his boss have largely ignored the issue of bumper crops of opium poppies in Afghanistan. In my view, the fact that the current crops of opium coming out of Afghanistan is prima facie evidence that the policies in Afghanistan have been munged from the gitgo. Lt. Col. (Mary) Ann Wright spoke to these issues and concerns when the invasion of Afghanistan and the subsequent invasion of Iraq took place. The fact that it has taken almost five years for these issues to garner the attention of the Bush administration, never mind a few select congress critters, is evidence that no one in the Bush administration really understand the issues in Afghanistan and no one in congress has really done the job of oversight in a meaningful manner.
Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill., chairman of the House International Relations Committee, said in an Oct. 12 letter to Rumsfeld that the U.S.-supported poppy eradication program in Afghanistan is a failure. In the previously unreported letter, provided by Hyde's committee office, Hyde urges the military to help agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) take out drug kingpins and heroin processing centers. The current program, backed by the State Department and international agencies, focuses on low-level poppy farmers.
Of course, this is not the first time anyone has pointed out this failure to US authorities, but the past efforts to bring these matters to Rumsfeld attention resulted in a shrugging of the shoulders and a balming of the British contingency in Afghanistan for not pulling their weight because the Brits were given the primary assignment of dealing with the drug crops and trafficking issues. However, according to my sources, the US policy in Afghanistan has been to largely ignore the growing of opium poppies in light of cooperation from the ruling war lords/drug kingpins.
The "opium crisis" has "increased violence and terrorism against coalition forces there, and is now threatening to totally corrupt all of the new Afghan democratic institutions we support," Hyde's letter said, echoing concerns voiced by many U.S. officials — including Rumsfeld — that drug money is aiding a resurgence of the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.
What is striking about this "news" is that the Bush gang pushed a PSA produced by pro-Bush anti-drug groups that touted the idea that drug trafficking was supporting terrorism world-wide. It strikes me as hypocritical and incongruous that the Bush gang could push these types of ads and yet largely ignore the very real context of drug trafficking in Afghanistan. It seems that the sale of a quantity of heroin or some other opiate in the streets of the US is less support of terrorism, especially the terrorist activities of Al-Qaeda and the Taliban, than the dramatically increased production of opium in the exact locality that Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are operating.
Rumsfeld has not answered Hyde, but Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Finn, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said Monday, "We take this matter very seriously, and we will be responding."
It seems to me this answer is the same as crapping in your drawers and telling someone that you only farted. If the Secretary of Defense was taking these matters seriously it would not have taken almost five years to bring these issues to his desk as a priority. These issues have been so far on the back burner and so much a bargaining chip with the war lords/drug kingpins that nothing effective has been done and the size of the opium crop has risen exponentially.
Hyde's letter followed a report by the United Nations last month that said an estimated 407,724 acres of opium poppy were grown in Afghanistan this year. That's up 59% from 2005 and more than double the acreage farmed in 2000, before the U.S.-led assault on the former Taliban government.
Even if those figures were off by 50% this would reveal a level of incompetent planning and ineffective operations that speaks volumes about how wrong-headed the entire Afghanistan, Iraq and "War on Terrorism" approach has been implemented.
Afghanistan is the world's top supplier of heroin, and narcotics make up more than one-third of its economy, the State Department has reported.
Seems to me that we traded depotism and rigid Islamic fundamentalism and extremism for pockets of despotism and drug trafficking in regions outside of the Afghanistan capital. Have we really made an impact upon Afghanistan?
The Pentagon's mission in Afghanistan has focused on fighting the Taliban and al-Qaeda. It has viewed drug trafficking as a law enforcement issue. However, Rumsfeld has authorized U.S. military units operating in areas with drug activity to take along DEA agents.
Here's an idea: Why don't we use our advanced satellite and GIS technologies to identify the poppy fields, confirm these findings with on site observation when there is a concern about the safety of innocents, and lay waste to the fields with any number of incendiary bombs that are capable of burning these fields beyond recognition? Wouldn't that solve the problem in an efficient and timely manner?
Military support has helped DEA operations, the agency's Mary Irene Cooper said. The poppy eradication effort, however, has had little impact. The U.N. said 37,807 acres were eliminated this year, about 7% of the acreage cultivated.
Of course, the method of eradicating this 7% of the poppy crop has been the old fashioned methods of setting them on fire when discovered on the ground. The use of satellite and GIS technologies have not been fully implemented. Nor has there been an efficient use of smart bombs with incendiary loads.
Hyde wants military air support for DEA missions. He said it is too dangerous for civilian authorities to work alone."We can't lose the country to narcotics," he said in an interview.
Nor can we afford to continue financing the Taliban or Al-Qaeda with profits from the sale of lucrative opium products.
posted by Jim Downey at 12:21 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home