Instead of Common Sense, NATO Mulls War on Opium in Afghanistan

October 9th, 2008 By: Michael van der Galien | Tags:
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A couple of days ago we published a video at PoliGazette of Christopher Hitchens explain to MSNBC why the West should stop obsessing over Afghan farmer who grow opium and should, instead of trying to destroy their crops (which are the only source of income for thousands Afghans) buy them.

It seems that Hitchens’ very reasonable words were not heard by anyone in the White House, or NATO for that matter. Instead the United States has decided to push ‘NATO allies to order their troops to target Afghanistan’s thriving heroin trade in a bid to stem the flow of drug money to the widening insurgency against the troubled international military mission.’

The idea that the West can and should somehow destroy opium crops in Afghanistan is ludicrous. Firstly, whatever we do, we are not going to succeed. Secondly, even if we would succeed, we would only cause farmers and Afghan villagers in general to radicalize since no opium crops mean they will not have money to take care of their family.

Since some still seem unable to get the above, here is Hitchens again explaining the situation in Afghanistan:

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