Former U.S. narcotics official says Afghan president hurting drug war

Opinion

Barry Artiste. Now Public Contributor

Certainly one can never be sure who is telling the truth, perhaps both are in what can be a serious issue when farmers face starvation and or death for planting other crops the Taliban needs to sell.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/War_Terror/2008/07/24/6251526-ap.html

Former U.S. narcotics official says Afghan president hurting drug war

By Fisnik Abrashi, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

KABUL, Afghanistan - A former top U.S. counter-narcotics official alleges that President Hamid Karzai is obstructing the fight against the country's burgeoning narcotics trade.

Thomas Schweich, who until June was one of State Department's top counter-narcotics officials, accused Karzai of protecting drug lords for political reasons.

Schweich wrote in an article for the New York Times that appeared online late Wednesday that "narco-corruption went to the top of the Afghan government."

Afghan officials were not immediately available to respond to Schweich's allegations. Drug production has skyrocketed since the U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban regime.

In 2007, Afghanistan produced 93 per cent of the world's supply of opium, the raw material of heroin. Schweich said the Taliban-led insurgency fighting Karzai's government profits from drugs.

He wrote that Karzai is reluctant to move against big drug lords in his political power base in the country's south, where most opium and heroin is produced.

"Karzai had Taliban enemies who profited from drugs but he had even more supporters who did," wrote Schweich, who used to serve as co-ordinator for counter-narcotics and justice reform in Afghanistan.

Presidential elections in Afghanistan come next year, and Karzai has indicated he'll seek re-election.