Taliban destroy poppy fields in surprise clampdown on Afghan opium growers

Action by Taliban welcomed by government and clerics but insurgent says destruction was for religious reasons
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Emma Graham-Harrison in Kabul

guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 May 2012 19.58 BST



An Afghan man extracts some of the weaker poppy plants on his farm, 10 miles east of Jalalabad. Photograph: Robert Nickelsberg/Getty Images


Taliban fighters have destroyed fields of opium poppies in eastern Afghanistan this spring, the first time since 2001 the hardline Islamist group is known to have clamped down on the cultivation of a drug that provides a big part of its funding.

While the insurgents appear to have dug up a relatively small area of poppies in a remote area near the border with Pakistan, the move was so unusual it won a chorus of praise from the Afghan government and international organisations, whom the Taliban consider their enemy, as well as senior clerics.

"They just did what the constitution ordered," said Wasifullah Wasifi, a spokesman for the provincial governor in Kunar, where the eradication took place.

"The provincial governor really appreciates what the insurgents did. From the perspective of Islam it is forbidden and a crime to grow drugs," Wasifi said, adding that nearly a hectare had been destroyed by the Taliban in the province's Manawara district, in addition to a far larger amount eradicated by the government.
An Afghan opium addict show the amount he consumed in a day
The country representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in Afghanistan, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, confirmed that the Taliban had uprooted poppy fields in Kunar, and said he hoped the "rare event" might presage a stronger approach to controlling drug production.

"We welcome this new approach and would hope that this is not a one-time exception but that the Taliban, and others alike, would take a principled stance against the narcotics business," he said.

Afghanistan has for years produced the vast majority of the world's opium, with only a brief break in 2001 when the Taliban government, which had previously relied on the crop to bolster its coffers, unexpectedly dug up most of the country's poppy fields.

But opium production has flourished since the group was toppled by US-backed forces in 2001, even though it has been widely condemned by clerics as un-Islamic.

Villagers in the Manawara district were warned at the start of the sowing season not to plant poppies, said district governor Habib Rahman Mohmand.

"The Taliban leadership in Kunar sent down an order to the ordinary people that they should not grow drugs, or the crop would be destroyed," Mohmand said. "Around 20 days ago the Taliban groups came and destroyed it."

Mohmand said he believed it had been done on the order of a powerful regional commander, Zia al-Rahman. The order, however, was the result of pressure from tribal elders and religious scholars in Kunar who considered the production of drugs un-Islamic, he told the Guardian.

A local Taliban fighter who said he was involved in the eradication confirmed that the decision had come from the top commander, for religious reasons.

"It was an order from Zia al-Rahman. We went to the site to destroy the drug fields, and there were two widows who were growing drugs to feed their families because they had no husbands, so I didn't destroy their land," said the militant.

"But when Zia al-Rahman heard, he got upset, and said: 'We don't care who the owners are, this is a religious order.' So I went to the site again and destroyed the land of the widows."

In 2011, the farm-gate value of opium production in Afghanistan more than doubled from the previous year to $1.4bn (£885m) according to Reuters.

Funds flow to insurgents and corrupt members of the government. The crop can also be a key source of income for poor farmers, who insurgents sometimes rely on for food, shelter, recruits or other support.

"Over the past 10 years the Taliban have generally been pragmatic about poppy. They have not been involved in eradication," said Michael Semple, a Harvard academic and expert on the Taliban.

"In the poppy heartland of the south, where the opium trade is important in the rural economy, Taliban commanders deliberately delay the start of the spring fighting so as to allow farmers a chance to complete the opium harvest."

In eastern Kunar, opium production is just a fraction of levels in the Taliban's southern heartland, and the local commanders may have seen a chance to match government eradication programmes with their own claim to moral leadership on drugs production, Semple added.

"In Kunar the acreage planted is much smaller and opium is peripheral to the economy. In eradicating some poppies, local Taliban probably saw an opportunity to pose as a legitimate force."

Kunar residents also said there had been some eradication by the Taliban in two neighbouring districts, although authorities in both areas denied any militant role in clearing poppy fields.

"In Shaygal district in some areas, the government was doing the eradication, and in other areas the insurgents were doing the eradication," said an English teacher, who asked not to be named.

"As an eyewitness I can say the Taliban destroyed a jerib [a fifth of a hectare] of drugs between four and five days ago," said Haji Padshah Jan, an elder from a third district, Sarkani.


Rahmatullah Qaryab in Kunar and Mokhtar Amiri in Kabul contributed reporting for this story


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/may/20/taliban-destroy-poppy-afghan-opium

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Pakistan Airforce: The largest distributor of Indian airforce parts in Asia



Pathankot Strike
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHlzP69n9c

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"prado the provost muncher"



Prado, I'm both a married man and straight. Under no conceivable circumstances will you be "munching" on me. Get that idea out of your head. You are decidedly NOT my type.

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"The chief aim of all government is to preserve the freedom of the citizen. His control over his person, his property, his movements, his business, his desires should be restrained only so far as the public welfare imperatively demands. The world is in more danger of being governed too much than too little. It is the teaching of all history that liberty can only be preserved in small areas. Local self-government is, therefore, indispensable to liberty. A centralized and distant bureaucracy is the worst of all tyranny. Taxation can justly be levied for no purpose other than to provide revenue for the support of the government. To tax one person, class or section to provide revenue for the benefit of another is none the less robbery because done under the form of law and called taxation." John W. Davis, Democratic Presidential Candidate, 1924. Davis was one of the greatest trial and appellate lawyers in US history. He also served as the US Ambassador to the UK.

you married?


please tell your husband he has my deep sympathy......

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Pakistan Airforce: The largest distributor of Indian airforce parts in Asia



Pathankot Strike
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHlzP69n9c

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Simply because you are a homosexual, Pole Muncher, doesn't mean everyone else is.

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"The chief aim of all government is to preserve the freedom of the citizen. His control over his person, his property, his movements, his business, his desires should be restrained only so far as the public welfare imperatively demands. The world is in more danger of being governed too much than too little. It is the teaching of all history that liberty can only be preserved in small areas. Local self-government is, therefore, indispensable to liberty. A centralized and distant bureaucracy is the worst of all tyranny. Taxation can justly be levied for no purpose other than to provide revenue for the support of the government. To tax one person, class or section to provide revenue for the benefit of another is none the less robbery because done under the form of law and called taxation." John W. Davis, Democratic Presidential Candidate, 1924. Davis was one of the greatest trial and appellate lawyers in US history. He also served as the US Ambassador to the UK.

LOL

This is self ownage of history, someone stating that they want to munch (i.e. eat, gnaw on, suck), on another man.

See Pardo, my little boy, here is the biggest shortcoming of your character . You made a mistake, no big deal, no one says you have to know colloquial English to this level. However you have previously stated (well, bull crapped out of your mouth, really), that you are right 99% of the time. Daring to compare your small brain to those the greatest human beings of history.

Now admit you made a mistake and you don't really want to suck his dick. Lets see you either do that or admit you are desperate for some man love

@farigogo turd

wtf are you even saying? are a turd or something?.... dont you have something else do to?.... like mall sweeping?


why do u even post? is it bcos you have a compelling reason to type? do u even have agenda?... NO?

then STFU!

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Pakistan Airforce: The largest distributor of Indian airforce parts in Asia



Pathankot Strike
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHlzP69n9c

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^^
LOL, you seem annoyed boy. You see boy, you are too stupid to talk to, as such your only real use for someone like me is to laugh at and remind you how stupid you are . I actually appreciate you being around.

By the way boy, you are in very good company the only other person I ever remember that made a thread with the name of author as "PersianGay", was your countryman Saifu .

Back to topic, this seems to contradict the military.com article indicating the Taliban are now drug runners.

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^^Actually no it is quite consistent behavior.
Taliban went all tough and moral on opium once before, around year 2000. If you check you will find that in the 2 years prior to their change of heart, they had a very good crop year and then a bumper crop year. The market was overflowing with opium and heroin and they suddenly went all moral. They milked the west by the tune of 80 millions as extra aid in their "fight" against opium while they were adjusting the market. At the time their 3 main backer governments , the only 3 governments who recognized them which also happen to be very good friends to the west, Pakistan, UAE and good old Saudis made a lot of noise about how fantastic Taliban are !!!

The best proof you can find is on your own, ask around and find an honest cop who has access to data and ask them whether there has evebrbeen a break in the supply chain and a spike in price especially round year 2000, I have done that on my own and I know the answer .


Anyhow, guess what happened in 2010 in regards to opium production ? A nasty natural fungi or blight hit them hard and production dropped, nothing to do with Taliban. Now guess what happened in 2011? Surprise surprise, a sudden drastic increase of yield with projection from UN office responsible for anti drug wars that there will be a very good crop year at the end of 2011 and price will drop

sehttp://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/frontpage/2011/October/opiumproductioninafghanistanshowsincreasepricessettorise.html

most important passages
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Nevertheless, while there has been progress with respect to some aspects of countering narcotics, the medium-term indicators for opium production are not positive. According to the Survey, cultivation in 2011 has reached 131,000 hectares, compared with 123,000 hectares in the previous two years. The amount of opium produced has risen from 3,600 metric tons in 2010 to 5,800 metric tons in 2011.

Based on the 7 per cent upturn in cultivation indicated in the Survey, production levels may be heading in the direction of previous highs seen prior to 2010. The 2010 Survey pointed to a drastic decline over previous high production levels owing to an opium plant disease that had laid waste to poppy production.
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someone like me is to laugh at and remind you how stupid you are .***

Re: stupid? what is that your religion ? move on troll... you are waste of band width

this article is for our southern pig farmer who believes what ever the FOX news tells him

the fact does remain under taliban rule opium production ended, under NATO rule it skyrocketed, that is a cold hard fact for you... so suck on that

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Pakistan Airforce: The largest distributor of Indian airforce parts in Asia



Pathankot Strike
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHlzP69n9c

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^ still munching

********************************************

You have to wonder if Prado is going to switch over and be the Fariborz muncher soon!?! Provost might get jealous.

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forbaboon is actually dumber than you.... he is no game.. then again neither are you

@papa provost v AKA piggy eater

when are you going to post those butt kissing articles on afgans loving america?... or how they remember 9-11 .... from strange page?

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Pakistan Airforce: The largest distributor of Indian airforce parts in Asia



Pathankot Strike
8 F-86Fs of No 19 Squadron led by Squadron Leader Sajjad Haider struck Pathankot airfield. With carefully positioned dives and selecting each individual aircraft in their protected pens for their strafing attacks, the strike elements completed a textbook operation against Pathankot. Wing Commander M G Tawab, flying one of the two Sabres as tied escorts overhead, counted 14 wrecks burning on the airfield. Among the aircraft destroyed on the ground were nearly all of the IAFs Soviet-supplied Mig-21s till then received, none of which were seen again during the War.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFHlzP69n9c

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@Coalde
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You have to wonder if Prado is going to switch over and be the Fariborz muncher soon!?! Provost might get jealous.
--


LOL, what can I say, Provost and I are apparently the lucky ones that a weirdo male finds us attractive !!!

@Prado the reformed muncher
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stupid? what is that your religion ? move on troll... you are waste of band width
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LOL, exactly what does my religion has to do with the fact that you support a bunch of heroin dealers that have caused huge amount of misery all over the world, among Muslims and non Muslims?
However, I am an agnostic which means unlike you I only have to make decisions based on conscience.
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the fact does remain under taliban rule opium production ended, under NATO rule it skyrocketed, that is a cold hard fact for you... so suck on that
--

You are a pathetic little shyt and I truly feel sorry for you.
From 1994 to 2000 and from 2001 to 2012, Taliban the group you support DID EARN money from drug trade. How much, who knows? How the fook do you think they continued their war you dumb boy?
You know it, I know it everyone knows it, yet your supposed fooking faith stops you acknowledging the simple truth. All this time huge number of people in your own fooking country had their lives ruined by these drugs, all Muslims too.
Yet here a pathetic little shyt like claiming to be a Muslim is incapable of even writing one fooking sentence that yes Taliban are at least partly responsible. It is your disgusting pride , your fooking vanity your pretend religious beliefs that make you behave this way.

You should shove that supposed faith of yours up your *** boy, seeing duplicitous pretend religious people like you makes me thankful that I only obey my conscience.