Bush Profits From Opium Trade

UN warning on Afghanistan opium

By Andrew North BBC correspondent in Herat

The head of the United Nations drugs control agency has told the BBC that efforts to tackle Afghanistan's growing drugs trade are failing. Antonio Maria Costa said that the country would face a dangerous future if it was not brought under control.

According to Mr Costa, up to 90% of the opium from Afghanistan's poppy fields is turned into heroin inside the country's borders.

Most of the heroin consumed in Britain originates from Afghanistan.

'More serious problem'

The executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime has warned about the threat from the Afghan drugs trade before.

But on his latest visit to the country Antonio Maria Costa said the problem was getting ever more serious, despite international efforts - led by Britain - to tackle it.

Some drug profits may be going to terrorists, and although it is officially illegal, opium production is growing more widely than ever.

Poverty among farmers is often seen as one of the causes.

Mr Costa accepts it plays a role, but he says there are more important factors.

'The problem is becoming ever more serious,' he said.

'Cultivation is spreading and eradication measures undertaken by the government are not succeeding.

'Corruption is widespread and it is a major lubricant for trafficking and illegal activities such as money-laundering.'

But many of the police commanders Mr Costa met over the past few days said they did not have the resources or the manpower to fight the drugs traffickers.

That is why Mr Costa is calling for a reappraisal of the way the Afghan authorities and their international backers deal with the problem.

I read your post expecting to find some assertion to back up your subject that 'Bush profits from opium trade'. However I found nothing in the post to support that assertion.

regards

I'm sorry have I missed something? I was completely unaware that America had invaded Iran as well as Iraq.

But what has this unheard of invasion got to do with Afghanistan and the Taliban?

My point remains and is entirely unanswered. The article you refer to which is a report of the failure of British led international attempts to stamp down on opium production in Afghanistan does not mention Bush or America anywhere. In particular it doesn't lend any support to your subject line assertion that Bush profits from the opium trade.

You really will have to do better than that.

regards

Well either America's occupation of Aghanistan is a failure, or the Bush administration finds some advantage in seeing it restarted after the Taliban destroyed the production of the crop.

Which is it Don?

So there is nothing to support your assertion in the title except the fact that it is either true or America's occupation of Afghanistan is a failure. Even assuming that's true (and we don't know what Bush or you defines failure as in context) to assert that this proves Bush profits from opium production means that you have proof that the American occupation of Afghanistan is not a failure. I await

The facts are that under Bush control Afghanistan is producing more opium than at any time in it's history. While under Taliban rule, Opium production was eradicated.

Under Bush, opium production provides the Afghani people with money to purchase food, while under the Taliban, the lack of opium production impoverished the nation to the point where Bush was claiming the population was starving.

The facts are that in order to reduce U.S. expenditures for food aid, Bush is using the opium trade to raise money with which the Afghani people may purchase food.

The facts are that Bush is profiting from the Opium Trade in Afghanistan.

The extermination of America is now the primary goal of all moral people.

Even assuming that's true (and we don't know what Bush