Pubdate: Mon, 24 Sep 2007
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2007 Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Steven Edwards, CanWest News Service
Cited: Transnational Institute http://www.tni.org
Cited: http://www.senliscouncil.org/modules/Opium_licensing
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Senlis (Senlis Council)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Afghanistan

CANADA SIGNS ON TO FIGHT POPPY TRADE

Crop a 'Menace'

UNITED NATIONS - Canada and other countries agreed yesterday to back
stepped-up operations to counter drug production in Afghanistan -- a
move that some say will lead to Canadian troops being drawn into
controversial drug-eradication and interdiction activities.

At a high-level meeting on the country, Foreign Minister Maxime
Bernier put Canada's name to a communique that expresses "great
concern" at the expansion of poppy cultivation in Afghanistan.

The production of heroin-producing opiates reached a "frighteningly
new level" last year, according to a recent UN survey, and Canada is
among countries that say profits of the illicit drug trade are funding
the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

But drug eradication is controversial because poor farmers also
cultivate poppies, saying it's the only way they can make a living.

"Breaking this linkage [between drugs production and insurgent
financing] is vital to creating a stable, prosperous and democratic,
Afghanistan ..." says the communique, released after the closed-door
gathering.

While Canada's 2,500 troops in Afghanistan are currently not involved
in drug eradication, the communique adds the "participants agreed to
collectively support increased Afghan government efforts to fight the
menace of poppy cultivation."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai praised Canada after emerging from the
meeting, attended also by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and
numerous other ministers and top officials from countries and
organizations involved in Afghanistan.

"It has given a lot. It has given the lives of its sons and
daughters," Mr. Karzai said.

Much of the rest of the communique reflects talk on reconstruction
that people at the meeting say took place. But they add that inside,
Bernier also highlighted actions Canada believes are necessary for
speeding up development.

A central one was for the UN to send more staff to the country to
better co-ordinate global aid efforts, according to one diplomat.

The initiative on civil aid builds on calls by Defence Minister Peter
MacKay for countries to help spread the military burden by
contributing troops.

But Canadian policy in Afghanistan will also be challenged today as
two respected think-tanks issue in-depth reports. Dutch-based
Transnational Institute, which brings together activist-scholars, will
say the UN and Western countries are "overreacting" to the jump in
drug production in Afghanistan. It warns violence could increase as a
result of dramatically increasing counter-narcotics operations.

"The increased production is set to fall anyway because it represented
an over-supply that world demand [for drugs] does not justify," said
Martin Jelsma, head of the TNI "Drugs and Democracy" program.

"But stepping up eradication could further deteriorate the already
highly delicate security situation."

The Canadian-and European-based think-tank Senlis Council, in its
report, will effectively say the government should go back to the
drawing board.

The group, which has monitoring staff in the country, argues Canada
needs to become much more robust in leading Afghan reconstruction
efforts. It should also stop being what the council calls the United
States' "junior" partner. 
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake