West links drug war aid to Iranian nuclear impasse

[Snazzy]

Source: AP

West links drug war aid to Iranian nuclear impasse

Jun 24, 5:03 AM (ET)

By SEBASTIAN ABBOT and NASSER KARIMI

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) - Iranian forces have battled for years in the lonely canyons and deserts on the Afghan border against opium and heroin traffickers - winning rare praise from the United States and aid from Europe for the fight along one of the world's busiest drug routes.

But now, international support for Iran's drug agents could be threatened by the standoff over Tehran's nuclear policies.

Western nations have told Iran that they could cut off any new help to Iran's anti-drug units unless the Islamic regime halts uranium enrichment, which Washington and its allies worry could be used to develop nuclear arms.

The warning was a small but potentially significant item tucked amid an array of trade and economic incentives seeking to sway Iranian leaders to strike a deal. Iran has not formally responded to the package, presented June 14 by the five permanent United Nations Security Council members plus Germany.

...

Overall opium production in Afghanistan has more than doubled in the last four years - and smuggling the drug into Iran is the first step toward reaching Western markets. Afghanistan produced 93 percent of the world's opium last year, and about 50 percent of the drugs leaving the country flowed through Iran, the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime says.

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Read more: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080624/D91GBI600.html

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In this June 26, 2006 file photo, a worker pours fuel on a pile of drugs before setting it on fire, in front of an anti-drug mural, at a ceremony in Tehran, Iran. Iran is at the front lines of the war on drugs flowing from Afghanistan, stopping vast quantities of opium and heroin before they can reach western Europe, but Western nations including the United States recently warned Iran for the first time that it must halt a key part of its nuclear program to get any additional help fighting Afghan drug lords. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Opium production in Afghanistan has more than doubled over the last 4 years."

Thanks to the Profits Crusade of the republicon homelanders, led by Commander AWOL Bush.

Ptooey...

[raystorm7]

2. Those are our drugs trying to get into the world market. We must bomb Iran to let em through =/

[mdmc]

5. yes!

Time to attack!
How DARE the Iranians mess with the free market!

[ck4829]

3. Ain't that convenient?

Opium production has skyrocketed in Afghanistan, now this.

[Arctic Dave]

4. Um, wouldn't that move hurt us more then it would hurt them?

If we DON'T help them fight the drug lords that means more drugs on European and US streets, which means MORE problems for us.
This is some type of bargaining we are doing, "stop what you are doing or we are going to shoot ourself in the foot".

[sourmilk]

6. Considering that NATO has stopped Interdiction Raids altogether...

...over the last two years in Afghanistan, the rise in opium production should hardly come as a surprise...