Record for Afghan poppy planting (BBC)

[eppur_se_muova]

Opium poppy production in Afghanistan reached another record high last year and Kabul must do more to stop it, a US State Department report says.

The report says that the poppy cultivation helps Taleban insurgents obtain money and weapons.

The drug trade hinders progress towards economic stability and democracy, the report adds.

Afghanistan grows nearly all of the world's opium poppy crop in an illegal trade worth billions of dollars.
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The growth in Afghanistan's opium crop began in earnest after the overthrow of the Taleban by US-led and Afghan forces in 2001.
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more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7271654.stm

Read that last para again. :wow::wow::wow: It's a doozy.

[Wiley50]

1. Afghanistan will be beautiful this spring

but only NATO forces will take the tour

[PDJane]

2. The joys of unintended consequences.

The Taliban kept the poppy crop down in order to keep the prices up, among other things. They did have a certain amount in reserve.

However, wherever the US goes, the poppy follows.