Afghan Opium Production Soars By 49%

Profits For Taliban, Which Denies Story About Boy, 6, Allegedly Recruited As Bomber

(CBS/AP)  Afghanistan produced dramatically more opium in 2006, increasing its yield by roughly 49 percent from a year earlier and pushing global opium production to a new record high, a U.N. report said Tuesday.

Opium production in Afghanistan increased from 4,100 metric tons in 2005 to 6,100 metric tons in 2006, according to the 2007 World Drug Report released by the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. Opium is the main ingredient for heroin.

In 2006, Afghanistan accounted for 92 percent of global illicit opium production, up from 70 percent in 2000 and 52 percent a decade earlier. The higher yields in Afghanistan have brought global opium production to a new record high of 6,610 metric tons in 2006, a 43 percent increase over 2005.

The area under opium poppy cultivation in the country also expanded, from 257,000 acres in 2005, to 407,715 acres in 2006 — an increase of about 59 percent.

"This is the largest area under opium poppy cultivation ever recorded in Afghanistan," the report said, noting that 62 percent of the cultivation was concentrated in the country's southern region.

Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the U.N. drug office, warned that Afghanistan's insurgency-plagued Helmand province was becoming the world's biggest drug supplier, with illicit cultivation there larger than in the rest of the country put together.

"Effective surgery on Helmand's drug and insurgency cancer will rid the world of the most dangerous source of its most dangerous narcotic and go a long way to bringing security to the region," Costa said in a statement.

"Developments in Afghanistan will continue to determine the levels of global opium production," the report said.

Western and Afghan officials say they expect a similar crop this year.

Christina Gynna Oguz, the representative in Afghanistan for the U.N.'s Office on Drugs and Crime, said Monday, "the yield is likely to go up because of the good weather conditions we've had for all agriculture in this country, so I fear that we will be faced with the same amount as last year, perhaps even a little bit more."

Oguz said there are close links between Taliban insurgents and criminal networks that deal in drugs. A significant portion of the profits from the $3.1 billion trade is thought to flow to Taliban fighters, who tax and protect poppy farmers and drug runners.

Oguz said Afghanistan is producing more heroin and morphine than last year because there are more active labs inside the country that are importing chemicals from European countries and China.

She said by flying over opium-producing areas at night, you "would see a lot of small fires in the mountains" from heroin labs.

She said a couple years ago most of the poppies were trafficked out of the country as opium, but now more of the opium is processed into morphine and heroin in Afghanistan, an indication the drug trade is growing in sophistication.

Meanwhile, the story of a 6-year-old Afghan boy who says he thwarted an effort by Taliban militants to trick him into being a suicide bomber provoked tears and anger at a meeting of tribal leaders.

The account from Juma Gul, a dirt-caked child who collects scrap metal for money, left American soldiers dumbfounded that a youngster could be sent on such a mission. Afghan troops crowded around the boy to call him a hero.

Though the Taliban dismissed the story as propaganda, at a time when U.S. and NATO forces are under increasing criticism over civilian casualties, both Afghan tribal elders and U.S. military officers said they were convinced by his dramatic account.

Juma said that sometime last month Taliban fighters forced him to wear a vest they said would spray out flowers when he touched a button. He said they told him that when he saw American soldiers, "throw your body at them."

The militants cornered Juma in a Taliban-controlled district in southern Afghanistan's Ghazni province. Their target was an impoverished youngster being raised by an older sister — but also one who proved too street-smart for their plan.

"When they first put the vest on my body I didn't know what to think, but then I felt the bomb," Juma told The Associated Press as he ate lamb and rice after being introduced to the elders at this joint U.S.-Afghan base in Ghazni. "After I figured out it was a bomb, I went to the Afghan soldiers for help."

While Juma's story could not be independently verified, local government leaders backed his account and the U.S. and NATO military missions said they believed his story.

[j-whitman]

We should immediatly get rid of the corn idea for ethanol,, it is worse for your milage ---- Burn opium oil instad... There wouldn't be any road rage & people would drive slower,, a win-win situation & end of problem.

[sclaires]

In as much as Afghanistan is the largest producer of opium, I wonder why the military who are currently there do not just burn the poppy fields. That would be the best way to get rid of the problem since the seeds would burn up with the crop. But, that is too sensible so they let the farmers go ahead and grow the poppies, harvest the opium, and then sell it so that more and more Americans and Europeans can get addicted and want even more. The question is when will the government take the easy way out of something instead of paying millions of dollars for detox and rehab of addicts??

[prinzowhales]

USAdvisor101--Not condemning the peasants in Afghanistan, any more than in Bolivia, Peru or Columbia...

The Taliban were making progress in the eradication of drug production and making a better life--by Afghan standards--than they have under the warlord regime in Kabul. Sure, the customer is on the other side of the drug equation...such is the nature of man that if the supply is there, customers will come...like sheep going after a psychotropic weed time after time....it makes them feel good.

What the nationality of the captives show is that al Qaeda was our baby and the baby of our buddies in Saud, Pakistan etc.

[prinzowhales]

We had no business in Afghanistan any more than we have any business in Iraq. The orders for the invasion of Afghanistan was on Bush's desk prior to the 9-11 false-flag psy-op attack-- the FBI cannot make a case against OBL strong enough to even list 9-11 as a reason for having him on the 'most wanted' list.

The invasion of Afghanistan was dictated purely by concerns regarding opium production--we wanted to RESTORE it--and oil pipe lines. Our servicemen are fighting and dying for this and only this!!

Troops home NOW! Resist new deployments!! The real enemy of the People and Constitution of the United States are in Washington DC.

If we were actually fighting a 'War on Terrorism' rather than the Stupid People's War, don't you think they would protect the borders of the United States?

On the southern border of the United States, Border Patrolmen have been sentenced to prison at the instigation of the Washington Regime FOR TRYING TO STOP DRUG DEALERS! In Afghanistan, the results of our invasion is obvious--the drug-dealing warlords are our allies and opium production is going through the roof.

[pakaal]

And to think, if we stayed focused on Afghanistan instead of being dragged into toppling a government and starting a civil war in Iraq based on lies, we might not see this kind of stuff happening in Afghanistan today. Kharzai has every right to be pissed, we started something good and walked away.

[prinzowhales]

speakinup--Just out of curiosity...what mainstream media do you consider conservative, and which do you consider liberal?

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,, Think about it -- Bush found Jesus & can't find Ossama

[speakinup]

speakinup,,, By the way,,,, Our National High School Graduation Rate is only 67% ... Another Bush catastrophe....

oh, ouch! This is so liberal the bull meter stays pegged at 10. So, it went from 100% on Dec 31st 2000 to 67% on Jan 1st 2001. Ok, that's believable.

You would be the prime example of those that didn't make it JW. (Ever notice how the lefties and the media get stuck on using 66 and 67% ?) Too bad! You lead the charge with Hillary, ok. The honey that's go everything. Including a wandering husband. She must have been REALLY desperate to get back into that white house to swallow (oops- my bad) - uh - put up with that womanizer.

Gotta go dude. I have a job. Not that I would expect a drop out to have one.

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,, Yep, We found Elvis, didn't you know ?? --- Bush found Jesus & God talks to him,, So why can't we find Elvis ?????

[speakinup]

You are most assuredly welcome, Elvis. (Phew, I thought Napoleon was the delusional favorite.) Ok, so we've found Elvis, folks.

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,, By the way,,,, Our National High School Graduation Rate is only 67% ... Another Bush catastrophe....

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,,, To quote Elvis, "Thank you, thank you very much" ---- Too bad you never paid that much attention to Bush, it's more than just his grammar that'ts wrong.....

[speakinup]

"speakinup,,,, Frustrated?? Who me ??" j-whitman

Do your fingers always stutter when you are not frustrated ? Hmmm, four words, four commas, and four question marks. Very good, j-whitman. Next week we'll reduce the medication and try again.

Bushie ? Now, that would be a noun, JW. I was looking for an adjective, and maybe an adverb or two. Let's get with the descriptive name calling. Or, can't you do better than, "He always was a complete corrupt failure, even as governor of Texas." BTW, make sure you place a comma between your adjective and adverb.

Hopeless. Utterly hopeless. You'll never make it to to top of the liberal heap unless you try harder.

Now, repeat after me JW, "I JW, will endeavor, to lie and twist the facts, ignore the truth (unless it benefits me), support the liberal media, and whine all I can. Further, I don't give a rat's putoot (if this isn't a strong enough word JW, I'm sure you can think of a few) about my country. I only care about what is best for me and my party, so help me G... (wait a minute, lefties only use that word when it's followed by "*** IT".) Oh, I know. Ahem, so help me Hillary.

That ought to do it, JW. You are now an official liberal.

[feelfree1]

Re: "Afghanistan produced dramatically more opium in 2006, increasing its yield by roughly 49 percent from a year earlier and pushing global opium production to a new record high, a U.N. report said Tuesday."

This appears to be one of the primary reasons for the invasion of Afghanistan.

Mission Accompished!!!

[j-whitman]

speakinup ,,,, You must be the frustrated ones - Who's your next best nominee for office ?? Rudy Guiliani --- LOL

Guiliani, slammed for ducking responsibilities on 9/11 interfering with 1st responders for photo ops --
- Refused to attend Iraq Study Group meetings to make millions giving photo ops & speaches.... He could care less about Iraq

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,,, Frustrated?? Who me ?? -- It' you Bushies who are now turning against each other on Iraq & failing to solve the problems in Afaganistan. ---
--- To Me,,,, Bush has lived up to all my expectations -- He always was a complete corrupt failure, even as governor of Texas

[speakinup]

j-whitman. Oh, I LOVE it. I just love it when liberals get frustrated.

And, you are so obviously there, j-whitman. At least make up something, ANYTHING, before you flame Bush. I mean, that's traditional for liberals. You wouldn't want to bust the mold would you ? Look at the opportunity you passed up.

You wouldn't want the cream of the crop of liberals (ie, the ones that can read) to see you screwed up, would you?

Now, come on. I'm sure if you try, you can come up with a good lie. Give it another shot. And, make sure you pick a REALLY good adjective for me, ok. (you know, those descriptive words that go before nouns. Nouns, you say - uh - forget I mentioned it...)

[j-whitman]

speakinup,,, When he was passing out brains, Bush thought he said "Rain" & hid under the steps.
Under the steps he ran into Cheney

[speakinup]

Ah, grazinggoat - showing your ignorance and spin again.

First off, I doubt that the 22,000 troops in Afghanistan include opium eradication in their definition of suppressing terrorists. Even if they were funded by opium.

Secondly, Afghanistan is 249,984 miles square. Divide that by 22,000, and you come up with roughly 12.5 square miles per person. Ok, so of those 22,000, you have the vast majority being support people - you know, cooks, air traffic controllers, logistics people, etc. We'll say this accounts for 1/3 the people, but in reality, it is much higher. Now we're at 16.6 sq miles per.

But, wait, what about those that are actively looking for Al Qaeda most of their waking day, ok so there goes 75% of your people (taking into account that they COULD still look for poppies we'll call it 75%). We're now at roughly 66 square miles.

Speaking of rough, what about those mountains ? I mean, not every soldier has his own helicopter. So that means we have to at least double up - one to fly (assumes we have that many helicopters) and one to look.

So now we're over 100 square miles. 10 miles by 10 miles in a mountainous region.

Hey, I could hide the Twin Towers in 100 square miles of mountains and you wouldn't see them, let alone a poppy field or two.

yup, God was passin out brains, not trains, when you said you'd take a slow one.

[j-whitman]

Opium,,,, The new Corn Oil -- It will give you the milage corn won't