Coalition Troops Snatch 30 Tons Of Drugs

Narcotics Including Hashish, Opiates, Cocaine And Amphetamines Could Have Helped Fund Taliban

(AP)  Coalition warships seized 30 tons of narcotics over five months on Gulf patrols, cutting off possible funds for insurgents in Afghanistan, the U.S. Navy said in a statement on Tuesday.

The Navy said the drug busts along the region's so called "Hash Highway" in the Persian Gulf were largely due to successful operations of the U.K. Royal Navy. Its marines and sailors intercepted 70 percent of the total narcotics haul.

Drugs seized over five months included hashish, opiates, cocaine and amphetamines, the statement said.

The U.S. Navy believes that had the illegal substances reached their final destination they "could have helped fund the insurgency fighting the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan."

The British warships involved in the operations were frigates HMS Chatham, HMS Montrose and Fand destroyer HMS Edinburgh. They were supported by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary helicopter support ship Argus and her embarked Sea King aircraft, the statement said.

The commander of Royal Navy in the Middle East Commodore Keith Winstanley said the trafficking of illegal drugs has been "one of the gravest threats to the long term security of Afghanistan and a vital source of funding for the Taliban warlords."

By seizing narcotics, the Coalition forces, patrolling the Gulf and headquartered in Manama, Bahrain, have dealt "a significant blow to the illegal trade," Winstanley said.

[eggy1620]

I%u2019d like to see the path of logic followed by the Navy to conclude that Persian hash equals Afghan cash.

[liberalme]

Hooray! Now they wont fall into the hands of liberals who will use them for the purpose of escaping reality.

Posted by GOP_forever

Isn''t that what the coward Bush did to get out of serving his country? You know who I mean? AWOL George?

[xmanborg]

OneAmerican

Your statement #2 was pretty funny.

[oneamerican-]

This is certainly good news, for two good reasons.

1. The Taliban lose their source of funding.

2. The Liberals in America lose their source of what makes them think like liberals.

[missingamerica]

They can "believe" anything they like, that doesn''''t make it a fact! chances are excellent the money would have gone to a handfull of drug cartels having nothing to do with insurgents OR Afghanistan.

Posted by newster1 at 01:46 PM : Jul 16, 2008

lolll...but if they were to admit that possibility, they would be admitting that capitalism spreads way faster than Democracy...

[nothappyatall]

The U.S. Navy believes that had the illegal substances reached their final destination they "could have helped fund the insurgency fighting the Coalition Forces in Afghanistan."

They can "believe" anything they like, that doesn''t make it a fact! chances are excellent the money would have gone to a handfull of drug cartels having nothing to do with insurgents OR Afghanistan.

[loneeagle57]

Hey You never know may be this was a shipment to the girl scouts

[marcpcbs]

Is this legal if in international waters?
Posted by jackobyte

-Good point. My guess would be... no. But, since we''''re the great and powerful U.S. who is going to say, "NO?" Maybe George Sr. should have been in on this deal, since it was he who was involved so deep with the Iran-Contra deal, some years ago. Kinda brings back the memories, doesn''''t it?! ...sniff...
Posted by RandyNason
______________________________
RandyNason your guess would be wrong.

The laws against illegal drugs in international waters are very straight forward and very strict.

[jgallaway81]

No.. it was the Girl Scouts of Afghanistan''s Hydroponics Badge.

[loneeagle57]

I got to ask, did they find it at a girl scout camp

[randynason]

Is this legal if in international waters?
Posted by jackobyte

-Good point. My guess would be... no. But, since we''re the great and powerful U.S. who is going to say, "NO?" Maybe George Sr. should have been in on this deal, since it was he who was involved so deep with the Iran-Contra deal, some years ago. Kinda brings back the memories, doesn''t it?! ...sniff...

[impeach__w]

This will keep the CIA Shipments over priced.
You did know we are smuggling drugs from SA to Africa to fund our cladestine wars again don''t you? We had air america in Veitnam and Iran -contra and the same thing is happening now in the very same bases Ollie north set up in central and south america. they are Smuggling drugs and weapons to fund activites congress won''t under the guise of counter narcotics, Chavez and FARC.

[questionnews]

Instead of destroying these drugs, why don''t we just sell the crapp to Amsterdam. Word is it''s a retail item there.

[jackobyte]

Is this legal if in international waters?

What if fundamentalist muslims sent dhows off the coast to interdict alcohol shipments that are funding the industrial military complex dropping bombs on them (ignore the fact that they''d be smashed into driftwood)?

That would also be legal no?