Our success in Afghanistan

The United nations announced yesterday that poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has reached the highest levels in the country's history--and in the world.

Antonio Maria Costa, director of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, said in the report, "In Afghanistan, drugs are now a clear and present danger. The fear that Afghanistan might degenerate into a narco-state is becoming a reality."

According to the report, the income from production and trafficking of opium this year is estimated at $2.8 billion--about 60 percent of the country's legal gross domestic product. If the drug problem persists, said Mr. Costa, "the political and military successes of the last three years will be lost."

The report also said there are indications that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are profiting from the Afghan trade.

Another mission accomplished!

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/19/international/asia/
19afghanistan.html?th