Up to 38 Taliban killed as 4 al-Qaida suspects nabbed in Afghanistan

Canadian Press ^ | 7/29/06 | Matthew Pennington

[gleeaikin]

I looked at your body count link, I see that many of the Afghanistan deaths are in Helmund Province. This is a big drug growing center. My son who is over there says that the Taliban is now financing its activities with heroin money. I think this or last year they had a record opium crop.

I just read an interesting article that scientists have found a way to modify the poppy so that it produces several kinds of medicine and very little opium. I see two possible anti opium/Taliban strategies.

One, sneak large quantities of the low opium seed into the hands of the poppy farmers. They will loose credibility when there is no opium coming out, kind of like flooding the market with counterfeit money.

Two, as the area is pacified, pay farmers to grow medicinal poppies for medical companies. These guys obviously are competent poppy growers, so utilize the skill. Legal cash, not in the hands of the Taliban.

[stumpy]

Me too, but I also liked the numbers as compared to the recent Irag discorse where 1 was killed and six arrested. I personally prefer that 38 or more be killed for each one arrested. It will get the job done sooner.

[PleaDeal]

First, THANK YOU AND YOUR WONDERFUL SON for protecting all of us!!!!

I agree that if a different kind of poppy will grow just as well, and produce a marketable crop that doesn't appeal to herion addicts - it should be encouraged. I'm sure the farmers would be happy to switch if they knew they'd be paid AND protected from retaliation by the Taliban; otherwise, the incentive will fall short.

Your idea to sneak the low-dose seeds into the farmlands is terrific!

[gleeaikin]

Thank you for your thanks, and your vote of confidence. Now I am going off to post a vanity thread about our experiences at home when our son was sent off to fight in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Title: Iraq Invades Kuwait, Sixteen Years Ago Today: Recollections from the home front.