Opium is thriving and the Taleban are back in Afghanistan

[Manix]

<snip>


Two years after American troops arrived in Kabul, how is the Bush Administration's project for a democratic and prosperous Afghanistan coming along?

Well, the opium crop is booming - 3600 tonnes this year, almost back to the peak production of 4600 tonnes reached before the Taleban banned the crop in 1999.

But virtually none of the revenue finds its way to Hamid Karzai's interim government in Kabul.

The provincial warlords who control almost everything outside the capital keep it for themselves.


<snip>


But why has it gone so badly wrong? Simple arithmetic provides the answer.

Afghanistan's population is only slightly smaller than that of Iraq, about 20 million versus 25 million.

The occupation force in Iraq has at least 150,000 American and allied troops. There are only one-tenth as many in Afghanistan - 10,000 US regular and special forces soldiers spread round the country plus 5000 ISAF troops who are largely confined to the capital.

Military experts reckon even the US-led force in Iraq is too small for such a large and populous country.

So the number of foreign troops in Afghanistan is hopelessly inadequate for the job.

Why is it so small? Because US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was determined to keep most US troops free for the attack on Iraq.



http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?reportID=61564&storyID=3541528

[patricia92243]

1. Why not make Afghanistan beacon of Democracy in the Middle east instead of

Iraq? Bush insists that Iraq be the shining example - this should have been done to Afghanistan - all the money, troops, rebuilding, etc. - then the USA would really have something to brag about, and the rest of the world would admire us for it. Now - the rest of the world hates us - we cannot go it alone - no matter what Bush says.