Filthy Lucre: Afghan drug profits too juicy to resist

[ktlight]

"America's approach to tackling the flow of illegal drugs from Afghanistan is misguided. This criticism from Russia's anti-drugs chief who believes a complete eradication of poppy fields is the only solution - a position not currently shared by the U.S. However, this reluctance now has some asking if the deadly business is proving simply too lucrative to destroy."

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[Aryslan]

They won't ever get rid of it, the CIA has been running heroin out of the middle east since the we took over there. It's probably their biggest cash cow.

Edit: The only people who wouldn't agree with Russia's stance that I can think of are heroin addicts. What does this say about the US?

Edit 2: The story mentioned that the Afghan people need the poppy exports to survive. Really? They honestly can't export anything but a highly toxic drug?

[Lord Sidious]

The CIA made a deal with this guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khun_Sa to import his opium.
This guy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Armitage_(politician) did the deal for the CIA.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

Sent on a secret mission, LtCol Bo Gritz (U.S. Army retired) interviewed General Khun Sa in the Golden Triangle during the early 1990's. The interview was video taped by Gritz's team.

In exchange for an agricultural subsidy from the United States, the General agreed to have his people switch from the drug trade to other agriculture. If President Bush (the elder) approved the proposal General Khun Sa would agree to name his best customers in the United States.

When LtCol Bo Gritz returned from his mission and tried to bring his message back to Washington D.C., Gritz found himself being stonewalled at every turn. Gritz described Washington D.C. as a den of vipers. Gritz also mentioned Armitage, indicating Armitage's involvement wherever something bad was going on.

As the result of LtCol Bo Gritz's persistence, an angry President Bush was videotaped saying "I want that man prosecuted" for his illegal but secretly authorized visit to the Golden Triangle.

[Lord Sidious]

Well there you go, I didn't know about that.
Thanks for that, much appreciated.

[Ron Mauer Sr]

The biggest cash crop on the planet is the illegal drug trade, I feel.

If drugs were made legal, nearly all the associated violence would go away, but profits from the drug trade would vanish.

Keeping the drug price high is the reason for the war on drugs.