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Alternative to Poppies In Afghanistan

Paul | 08.10.2006 11:40 | Oxford

I have resently returned from Afghanistan to Oxford and feel the UK policy may be a little flawed especially considering the British history in Afghanistan. Expect more body bags and escalation.

Having been unsuccessfully trying to destroy poor farmers’ opium poppies (bumper harvest this year) which would have left them to starve now at last there is the revolutionary idea from the Italian PRT (Provincial Reconstruction teams which are military groups giving security and aid) of giving farmers an alternative cash crop. However, the British troops have not done this yet and are still concentrating on killing and being killed although soon with better equipment to do it with. As they are trying to destroy poppy production which the people rely on for survival and the Taliban are fighting against those destroying the poppies and even paying some farmers to fight those destroying their poppies it is not a great surprise that the Taliban are more popular than the British troops in Helmand and the winning of hearts and minds has not been a resounding success. Kill one man who is seen as defending his livelihood results in the whole extended family fighting you and Afghans have very large families and are keen on revenge and honour. Throwing more and more troops and equipment at the problem is perhaps not the most sensible approach.


Paul

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Cash crops

08.10.2006 17:37

Sounds fine in principal, but what exactly would the cash crop to replace the poppies be? Afghanistan is not exactly full of fertile soil so finding something that can easily be grown in the quantities required to make the same level of income is a problem which also needs to be overcome.

Robbo


Taliban and Poppies

08.10.2006 23:22

When the Taliban were in control poppy production was very much reduced. Is that true? Are the broadcasts put out by the BBC today that the Taliban are forcing poppy producion straight lies? Or to put it another way is the US Government controlled by the mob? Was Afghanistan invaded to get the poppy production restarted. There is no oil there.

Anti-politic


Answers to Comment Questions

09.10.2006 13:08

Safron and rose oil are two posibilities. Italians are introducing safron into the west of Afghansitan. Just buying opium from the farmers and then concentrating on the drug lords would be more effective economically and would reduce deaths on bot sides.

Yes, Taliban drastically reduced opium production. The Taliban may be encouraging poppy growing but I think they are just being oportunist. British come to distroy opium production with no alternative for the poor farmers which makes those farmers easy recruits and supporters of the Taliban. I think Afganistan wasa invaded more for revenger aftere 9/11. Easy target with low risk and also in a strategic position between pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, China, Turkmedistan.

Paul


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