The Afghanistan Papers, Part 6: Overwhelmed By Opium

Real Clear Public Affairs ^ | 1/10/2020 | Craig Whitlock For Washington Post

[DallasBiff]

Bottom Line: U.S. efforts to eliminate Afghan opium production through force or persuasion have failed, and if anything have made the situation worse.

In July 2000, Taliban Mullah Mohammad Omar banned Afghan farmers from growing opium. His ban worked.

But "as soon as the U.S. military invaded and toppled the Taliban in 2001, Afghan farmers resumed sowing their poppy seeds." Without the threat of the Taliban, it seemed farmers were unwilling to give up this lucrative crop. This would make it nearly impossible for the United States and its allies to end the opium trade in Afghanistan.

But that didn't stop it from trying. The United States has spent around $9 billion since 2001 to stop Afghanistan from "supplying the world with heroin." But "key players in the anti-narcotics campaign acknowledged that none of the measures have worked and that, in many cases, they have made things worse."

One former Afghan cabinet minister lays the blame with the United States' and NATO countries' inability to settle on a single anti-opium strategy, and their reliance on "a carousel of consultants who were ignorant about Afghanistan."

[DallasBiff]

I know from 5 years ago, and since 2001 big pharma created fentanyl, the synthetic heroin, that has killed hundred of thousands.

[Paladin2]

Didn’t USAID pay to provide water and fertilizer projects to promote poppy growth in Afghanistan?

I’d check the whole place and all of the peeps for drugs and drug use.

[Paladin2]

Wasn’t the US overwhelmed by Hopium in 2008 & 2012?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

I have read, years go, that in late 1800s Kansas there was an attempt to grow Opium poppies. It was so labor intensive they decided wheat and corn was a better crop.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

Taliban feared more than us....Taliban in control, today.

[silverleaf]

Not only is USAID funding Afghan farmers to grow heroin poppies, a group receiving USAID funding is lobbying to keep the trade going.

Mike Benz @MikeBenzCyber And why is USAID’s network partner, the US Institute of Peace, lobbying the Taliban to keep 95% of the world’s heroin supply flowing while taking $56 million from US taxpayers each year?

https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/1886136167675970036

[Boogieman]

Afghans have rugs, blankets and dope, but rugs and blankets won’t fund an economy.

[usurper]

My one experience with USAID was in Bolivia when I was working with DEA.

USAID would pay farmers to rip out all their coca plants and for them to plant bananas. They farmers would take the money and rip out the coca and plant bananas.

Since the farmers had no way to get bananas to a market they would rot on the trees.

The farmers would then tare down more Amazon jungle and grow more coca since that was the only way they could make money.

This cycle would go on for decades. USAID was responsible for much of the destruction of the Amazon.

[ViLaLuz]

Baloney. The Taliban forced people under threat of death to grow opium poppies and hashish instead of food crops.

[sauropod]

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