Via NY Transfer News Collective * All the News that Doesn't Fit

[You know that great successful "war on drugs" the US is waging in
Colombia the last -- 8, 9, 10, 20 years? Let's try THAT in Afghanitan.]

The Independent - Oct 4, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article3024749.ece

US wants to bring Colombia tactics to Afghan drugs war

By Kim Sengupta in Lashkar Gar

The Afghan President, Hamid Karzai, is resisting American pressure to
authorise a major programme of crop spraying to eradicate the country's
massive opium crop amid warnings that it would lead to a rise in
support for the Taliban.

The plan has been strongly opposed by the British, who hold that it
will make the task of the military in Helmand, the province which
produces 50 per cent of the opium crop, much harder. Spraying from the
air, critics say, carries with it the danger of destroying other crops,
causing long-term ecological damage, and affecting the health of
livestock.

But according to senior Western and Afghan officials, the American
position has been significantly strengthened following the latest poppy
harvest, which shows a jump of 34 per cent from last year, which was
already a world record. America's determination has also been sharpened
with the evidence that Afghan opium, which now accounts for 93 per cent
of the world's supply, has started reaching markets in the United
States.

The recent appointment of a former US ambassador to Colombia as envoy
to Kabul is seen as the most overt move by Washington to ensure that
spraying takes place in Afghanistan. William Wood, who has acquired the
nickname "Chemical Bill" among British and other Nato officials for his
fervent belief in chemical spraying, was in the team which implemented
"Plan Colombia", which involved aerial spraying in the Latin American
state in an attempt to eliminate cocaine production.

The policy in Colombia came under severe criticism with claims that it
damaged legitimate crops and ultimately failed in its aims of
destroying the coca crop. However, during his confirmation hearing
before Congress, Mr Wood said the Colombian option may be repeated in
Afghanistan and General Peter Pace, chairman of the US joint chiefs of
staff, has also voiced the opinion that it could be a template for
Afghanistan. Members of the Colombian security forces are already
training Afghan police in counter-narcotics.

A recent meeting of the Afghan cabinet, according to senior officials,
came close to approving the use of spraying on a limited, experimental
basis. However President Karzai is said to have agreed to delay the
decision after impassioned pleas from the ministers of Agriculture and
Public Health. The issue remains immensely sensitive and yesterday
President Karzai's spokesman insisted: "Our view is there should be a
comprehensive policy to tackle the problem, including the provision of
alternative livelihoods. It was decided that we will not start crop
spraying. This was a unanimous decision by the government."

Yet Ahmed Zia Massoud, one of Afghanistan's two vice-presidents, has
publicly declared his support for spraying. He said: "I have no doubt
that the efforts of Britain and the international community in fighting
the opium trade in Afghanistan are well-intentioned, and we are
grateful for their support. But that policy has not worked and the time
has come for us to adopt a more forceful approach.

"We must switch from ground-based eradication to aerial spraying. The
opium directly supports those who are killing Afghan and international
troops. Failure to achieve a substantial reduction in the opium crop
will be equivalent to supporting the Taliban."

A US diplomatic source said: "There is absolutely no evidence that
spraying causes harm to people or cattle. Everyone has seen the rise in
the poppy harvest, and obviously the current policy is not working."

[Additional reporting by Ahmed Nasruddin Ali]

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