US spends $7bn but fails to stop Afghan opium

America's drug war in Afghanistan is failing badly, according to a new report from a U.S. government watchdog.
Afghan farmers are growing record bumper crops of opium poppies, an unprecedented 209,000 hectares in 2013, according to a report issued Tuesday by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. This despite various U.S. agencies spending $7.6 billion to try to stop narcotics production in Afghanistan
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29713547

Afghanistan is the source of 80% of the world's illegal opium. US goverment is trying to control the situation in Afghanistan - hereof US goverment is the source of 80% of the world's illegal opium. Why else would we still be in Afghanistan?

 

It's almost as if cocaine production went through the roof after the Reagan involvement in S. America. Anyone who thinks that the real powers that be are interested destroying drug profits is delusional.

 

US GOVERNMENT IS TRYING TO CONTROL THE SITUATION!!!

SOURCE

Oh! Should we apploud then for a nice control US government did for planting this crop in the country, turning it into a deadly threat for youths in a diferent hemisphere and annual increase of production? Or what is the actual aim of 'control'? If it is decrease then maybe the less control of US over Afghanistan - the better?

 

Who are consumers of that opium from Afghanistan? I guess this ought to be addicts in countries of North America and Europe.

 

That's kind of a stretch isn't it?

 

well buying 7.6 billion worth of opium, would certainly explain a lot of American actions and inactions.

Continually urinating money to little or no effect, except growing the problem.
Maybe its just karma, or maybe its just characteristic of human corruption or maybe its the illuminati's plan for global domination

 

Has anyone told them you do not stop the trade by buying it, besides takes too long to dispose of one bowl at a time.

 

Afghanistan havin' it's best poppy growin' year yet...

Afghanistan Set Record for Growing Opium in 2014
January 6, 2015 – After thirteen years of occupation by U.S. forces, Afghanistan set a record for growing opium poppies in 2014, according to data from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Heroin is derived from the poppy.

 

The CIA created it for a purpose.

 

3100 tons less of opium production...

UN: Afghan Opium Production Down 48%
October 14, 2015 — The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported Wednesday that the amount of opium produced in Afghanistan during the current year dropped by 48 percent. "We have 3,300 tons of opium production this year as compared to 6,400 tons last year," UNODC regional representative Andrey Avetisyan,told reporters in Kabul.

 

The most amusing aspect of this huge cultivation and trade of opium in Afghanistan is that such a business is prohibited by Islam. But it seems that more than the 80% of the farmers cultivating opium goes to Mecca like any other good Muslim ... [the travel to Mecca is expensive, you know ...].

 

Lets do the math
According to the chart Afghanistan produced 8200 metric tons of opium in 2007 so I'm going to use that as a benchmark.
8200 metric tones gives a little over 18 million pounds of the stuff.
Afghan farmers are paid about $60 a pound.
So if we bought the raw opium from the farmers at say $100 a pound, then burned it, it would only cost about $1.8 billion, saving the taxpayer $5.2 billion and ensuring that none of it ever made it to the US or Europe.

 

Yea, but then we would have to pay some contractor $10 billion to burn it. Those kickbacks to politicians cost a lot.

 

They should just stop.Pump that money into the deficit.Leave those poor Afghani farmers alone.
Of course doing this would probably reduce some government jobs and burden on the taxpayer.
Too many good American soldiers have been killed there already.

 

lets give credit were credit is due. afghani poppy growers are crap people

 

The Taliban stopped the opium.....

 

Would not be surprising, some Americans are supporting the Opium trade.

 

Commercial opium production in Afghanistan goes back to the days of British India..

 

Think how many needy Americans were deprived of food, shelter, clothing and healthcare with this money being wasted. Or how much border security it would have provided.

 

The CIA us using Opium sales to fund covert operations is it not ?

This is nothing new for the CIA... unfortunately.

 

The main markets for Afghan heroin is Russia and EU. USA carry the heroin in Kosovo by military aircrafts. After that, the Albanians are distributing the heroin in EU.

 

Just charge $10 a pop for visitors to stand downwind when it's burned. Should raise a few bucks

 

Opium poppies have done a lot towards lifting Afghanis out of poverty. An enterprising person might turn it legit and develop pharmaceuticals.

 

Where do I get a ticket for that ride?

 

The US transport Afghan heroin to Kosovo in military aircraft, are you sure? Do you have links for this please?

I know that US military aircraft shipped cocaine into the US back in the day, and likewise heroin from Vietnam during the war there where they stuffed bags in the body cavities of dead GI's --- but I wasn't aware this practise continued today.