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Karzai 'impeding Afghan drug war'

by Sanjay Jha | July 25, 2008 at 12:45 am | 201 views | 5 comments | 7 recommendations

Afghnistan is considered the cultivating ground for growing poppy and it estimated that a large part of the poppy in circulation all over world comes from Afghanistan. Many western government including UK & USA have been taking steps to stamp out poppy cultivation.

The United Nations says that enough opium was produced last year in Afghanistan to make more than 880 tonnes of heroin with a street value of $4bn (£2bn). UK government has been very concerned about the proliferation of opium and been one of the leaders in international efforts to combat the narcotics trade.

But Now a former US Counter narcotics officer has accused President Karzai of not taking enough step to curb the poppy cultivation.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai is obstructing efforts to tackle his country's drugs problem, a former US counter-narcotics official has said.

Thomas Schweich said Mr Karzai had protected drug lords for political reasons and tolerated "a certain level of corruption" rather than lose power.

He said the former attorney general had told him the president had prevented the prosecution of some 20 officials.

Mr Karzai has denied the claims, saying his government had cut drug production.

"Nobody has done as well as us in the last seven years in the field of counter-narcotics," he told reporters.

The president said his government had eradicated or greatly reduced drug production in more than half of the country's provinces.

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cterrass

at 01:31 on July 25th, 2008

a better quality photo can be found on google at
http://www.lastampa.it/redazione/cmsSezioni/esteri/200806articoli/33399girata.asp

cterrass has contributed a photo to this story.

Sanjay Jha

at 01:38 on July 25th, 2008

Thanks for your suggestion, Cheers

Barry Artiste

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 03:42 on July 25th, 2008

Sanjay Jha, I like this story. It's good stuff.

Ryanlobo

at 05:45 on July 25th, 2008

Shot in Afghanistan in 2007 in Nangahar province near jalalabad while on film assignment for National Geographic. You can read more at www.ryanlobo.blogspot.com

Ryanlobo has contributed a photo to this story.