Russia Criticizes US Over Afghan Drugs

[unhappycamper]

Russia Criticizes US Over Afghan Drugs
March 12, 2010
Associated Press

BRUSSELS --- Russia's envoy to NATO has sharply criticized the alliance's shift away from fighting drug trafficking in Afghanistan, saying the resulting surge in heroin smuggling is endangering Russia's national security.

In an interview late Thursday, Dmitry Rogozin also highlighted the lack of cohesion within NATO, saying Moscow is worried about declining public support in Europe for the war.

"(Russia) is losing 30,000 lives a year to the Afghan drug trade, and a million people are addicts," Rogozin said. "This is an undeclared war against our country."

"We are obviously very dissatisfied with the lack of attention from NATO and the United States to our complaints about this problem."

For years, the allies tried to eradicate poppy crops, but that resulted in a boost to the insurgency as impoverished poppy farmers joined the Taliban. Gen. Stanley McChrystal's new policy of trying to win the support of the population means that these farmers are now left alone, enabling them to tend crops that produce 90 percent of the world's heroin.


Rest of article at: http://www.military.com/news/article/russia-criticizes-us-over-afghan-drugs.html?col=1186032310810