Afghanistan: The War on Drugs

Not sure why America is concerned with defeating the drugs trade in Afghanistan as most of the drugs in the US come from central and south America, especially Colombia. You can see what a great success they have had there over a hell of a long time. However, I am sure they will be able to sort it out in no time at all.

Their strategy is an ill conceived and short term superficial show. Does not sound like the states but true. Kharzai has said he disagrees with crop spraying due to the damage to the health of locals. America did not seem to have the same concerns. This may mean that closer contact on the ground may be necessary. An Afghan special force is being set up to deal with poppy eradication. Unofficially the private security firm, Dyna Corp will be fully involved. They are the ones that stepped on the toes of someone in Wardak office resulting in a large car bomb outside one of their houses in the middle of Kabul. At the moment most of the poppies being destroyed belong to poor farmers trying to survive and pay off loans acquired against the harvest. Mow there is a lot of rhetoric about tackling the big boys and destroying heroin labs. As a friend working for the UN in drugs and crime said, ‘This is heavy shit’. They will be dealing with heavy arms, the warlords, international organizations and the Russian mafia. This will also be going on at the same time as the run up for the parliamentary elections and the power plays that will involve. Never mind they have alternatives. IOM who I work for have got a program concerning this. It will consist of implementing short term projects such as building bridges, irrigation etc employing a large or relatively large number of laborers. This will keep them busy and give them an income for a maximum of six months. So what will they do after this? Guess. If you are destroying someone’s livelihood you have to be seen as offering alternatives so this short term show is being introduced. It should take anyone at least two minutes to see the connection between IOM and the poppy eradication making us a target.

Of course drugs could be legalized in the west and thus taking a lot of the crime out of it but there is no political capital in this.

At the moment we have 9pm curfews and am not allowed to go out to restaurants or the market or walk in the street. In early December there will be the inauguration of Kharzai as president and the announcement of the cabinet. This should heighten tensions. Kharzai will have to have warlords in the cabinet but may get around it by appointing representatives of different ethnic groups who will just be mouth pieces for their warlords. So for example Dostum may not be appointed to the cabinet but one of his men may be.

On the personal front I have just got back from leave in Sri Lanka where I rented a bike and had the freedom to go where I wanted when I wanted. I still found myself answering people who asked where I was staying with, ‘Why do you want to know’. I needed the break but it was overshadowed by the fact that a friend of mine is still a hostage.