Pubdate: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 Source: Sunday Times (UK) Copyright: 2007 Times Newspapers Ltd. Contact: http://www.sunday-times.co.uk/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/439 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n164/a01.html Author: Paul Smyth Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) AFGHANS SUFFER IN DRUG WAR ANY reflection on Afghan opium that does not mention the damage it inflicts on the populations of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan is incomplete (for example, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Report of 2006 estimates Iran has more than 1.2m opiate abusers, nearly 3% of the general population aged 15-64). A Eurocentric focus on demand is understandable from this end of the telescope but it distorts the picture (America is doped up in Colombia for a bad trip in Afghanistan, Comment, last week). The increase in violence in southern Afghanistan in 2006 is not due to tactics employed by different coalition partners, but to the arrival of international security forces in areas hitherto uncontested and conveniently close to Taliban heartlands along the border. To consign the Afghan people to life under either local warlords or the Taliban appears a wicked option. Since 2001, the international community has given repeated assurances to Afghanistan that it would help bring it out of the dark ages. Its performance thus far is worthy of significant criticism, but to focus on the struggle of those who have taken this responsibility seriously is to aim at the wrong target. America has spent enormous resources on counter-narcotics in Afghanistan. Given that a very small proportion of Afghan-sourced heroin reaches the US its efforts have been largely on behalf of the region and Europe. We never say thank you. Paul Smyth Royal United Services Institute London SW1 - --- MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman