US altering its Afghan drug policy. Ending funding for eradication of opium crop.

[Forkboy]

TRIESTE, Italy - The United States is shifting its strategy against Afghanistan’s drug trade, phasing out funding for opium eradication while boosting efforts to fight trafficking and promote alternate crops, the US envoy for Afghanistan said yesterday.

The aim of the new policy: to deprive the Taliban of the tens of millions of dollars in drug revenues that are fueling its insurgency.

Richard Holbrooke, the US envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, said poppy eradication - for years a cornerstone of US and UN drug trafficking efforts in the country - was not working and was only driving Afghan farmers into the hands of the Taliban.

“Eradication is a waste of money,’’ Holbrooke said on the sidelines of a Group of Eight foreign ministers’ meeting on Afghanistan, during which he briefed regional representatives on the policy.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2009/06/28/us_ending_funding_for_eradication_of_afghan_opium_crop/

[Chulanowa]

1. Buy the opium for medical use at fair prices

While still encouraging other crops.

[DCKit]

3. And burn the rest.

Regardless, the Taliban gets $0.

Unfortunately, any plan which doesn't involve a military option and money flowing to corporate entities (materials and chemicals), the MIC will smother in it's cradle.

[kenny blankenship]

4. Burn the rest? No way. This is about rewarding our friends.

The Karzais, the family of the President, are the biggest refiners and exporters of Afghan heroin. And if they get bumped off by one of the other warlords, we will need to secure the new Grand Poobah's cooperation and friendship by letting him have his turn at ruling over the heroin trade too.

It goes on and on.

[natrat]

2. this country is run by sleazy crooks