AFGHANISTAN

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23 May 2008 NATO
Commander Says Afghan Illegal Drug Trade Aids Taliban

By MacKenzie C. Babb
Staff Writer

Washington -- The illegal narcotics business so prevalent in southern Afghanistan poses a greater threat to security in some parts of the country than do Taliban insurgents, the commander of the NATO security force says.  In addition, profits from the sale of the illegal drugs are being used to fund the Taliban insurgency elsewhere in the country.

The opium poppy crop in Afghanistan generates about $3 billion a year, providing many struggling farmers with a lucrative alternative to growing less profitable crops like wheat and vegetables, says Army General Dan McNeill, commander of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.

Afghan farmers are not the only ones cashing in on the business -- he estimated that 20 percent to 40 percent of the fiscal resources for insurgent activity come from the poppy harvest for opium production.  And he added that “œboth literally and figuratively, [the illegal narcotics business] poisons Afghan children.”�

To stop the trade, McNeill said, would require the Afghan government to release a “clear and unambiguous statement” that the poppy industry no longer would be tolerated.  He added that to succeed, the stance would require strong support from the international community.

During a May 21 briefing from Kabul, Afghanistan, McNeill also emphasized that the Afghan national army has demonstrated growth and success in security operations. "By about 2011, there is going to be some pretty good capacity in the Afghan national army," he said.

And he said that with continued international support, the army soon should be able to take more of a lead in operations and development.  He added that it will take several more years to strengthen the Afghan army's air transport and air support system.

McNeill also said he still needs additional troops and aircraft to augment the 47,000-strong security force from more than 40 countries that currently is operating in Afghanistan.

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