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"We're Losing Ground" in Afghanistan Says Top NATO Commander
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ShareSeptember 21, 2006 3:36 PM
Remnants of al Qaeda and the Taliban continue to profit from the sale of opium in Afghanistan, and NATO is not making any progress in the war on drugs there, according to a top NATO commander.
"We're losing ground," said NATO Commander Gen. James Jones. "It affects the insurgency because there's increasing evidence that a lot of funding goes from the narcotics traffickers to the criminal elements, to what's left of al Qaeda, to the Taliban and anyone else that wants to create mischief."
The narcotics industry accounts for over one-third of Afghanistan's Gross Domestic Product, according to the U.S. State Department, and the U.S. has taken an active role in an eradication program there. This year alone, a specialized police unit, known as the Afghan Eradication Force, has destroyed nearly 2,500 hectares of poppy fields in three provinces.
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But Gen. Jones along with the top U.S. commander with responsibility in Afghanistan both agree that troops burning opium fields is not enough and that drug money could still be funding terrorist operations there.
"That's something that we're looking at very closely," said Lt. Gen. Karl Eikenberry.
September 21, 2006 | Permalink | User Comments (3)
I like the article and certainly can't disagree with the premise of poppy growth being a problem there. Afghanistan has historically been responsible for upwards of 90% of Europe's opium/heroine consumption. As pointed out, it constitutes a large portion of a rather small GDP.
I'm also glad that NATO/U.S. generals and the Afghan government are making efforts to burn fields and are considering other steps.
However, I disagree with your headline that implies we are losing ground in Afghanistan as a fighting force....when in fact it refers to losing ground against poppy/opium production. The picture showing a Taliban fighter with an RPG further exacerbates the perception that the headline refers to fighting capacity versus opium production.
Although some drug money is going to al Qaeda (and a lot to other non-Taliban warlords), I'm not sure you can link money to combat capability. Columbian guerillas are certainly not a potent combat force despite financing from drug money. Numerous arab countries and Venezuela could hardly be called superpowers despite oil money. Other countries like North Korea and Israel certainly do have strong militaries without lots of money. Let's not panic and jump to the conclusion that opium will strengthen Taliban military capability. Foreign fighters bringing IED expertise into country are more likely to do that.
Posted by: Cole | Sep 21, 2006 5:25:20 PM
For the benefit of those of us who are "visual" and not so mathematical savvy, 2500 hectares is roughly 6200 acres or about 9-1/2 square miles.
If you ask me, there's not much "bang for the buck" here when you consider that Afghanistan is approximately the size of Texas.
I wonder what y'all are doing with the other 95% of your time.
Posted by: dreek | Sep 22, 2006 1:09:13 PM
I understand a biological method of destroying opium poppies was developed years ago but that the
US refuses to deploy it. Why not
just get rid of the problem for once and for all?
Couldn't ABC news look into this
and do some investigative reporting?
Posted by: rex | Sep 22, 2006 4:47:27 PM
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