NATO UNDERMINING OPIUM FIGHT, KHALID SAYS

Lack of support from foreign troops for Afghanistan's
poppy-eradication operation costing lives, he says

KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN -- Foreign troops have undermined the Afghan
government's poppy-eradication campaign in Kandahar, the governor
says, and the lack of support has added to the risks of the operation.

At least 13 police have been killed and one reported missing during
poppy eradication so far this month, and the task has been more
difficult, Governor Asadullah Khalid said, because his NATO allies
refuse to help and, in some cases, appear to be blocking the effort.

The governor was especially upset about a firefight on the morning of
April 6 that killed nine officers in the district of Maywand, west of
Kandahar city.

He said his office notified the Canadian military three weeks ahead of
time that his teams would be visiting certain locations in Maywand to
destroy the opium fields. But on the appointed day, he said, NATO
troops stationed nearby failed to help his men during an hour-long
battle against Taliban fighters.

"They didn't help us, even though they were very close," Mr. Khalid
said. "We gave them all the plans and programs beforehand. They were
informed, and they promised us they will help us if something happens
to our police."

The foreign troops have been similarly unhelpful in Panjwai district,
he said, where NATO soldiers warned his officers that no assistance
would be available if they got into trouble. In Zhari district, he
said, NATO troops stopped his teams from working. In Maywand, he said,
tribal elders were told that the foreign troops are not against opium
cultivation.

"They said, 'We don't want to make enemies for ourselves,' " Mr.
Khalid said. "It's very bad for eradication when you're telling the
elders, we are not against your poppy. It means we have different policies."

Growing opium is illegal in all parts of Afghanistan, but governors
are encouraged to follow the National Drug Control Strategy when
conducting their spring eradication programs. The strategy calls for
targeted eradication of fields where farmers might be able to grow
other crops, in part, to avoid victimizing the poorest farmers, who
often suffer more eradication because they cannot pay bribes.

"Experts work with over 70 data sets to produce the target maps," said
David Belgrove, head of the British counter-narcotics team in Kabul.

But governors often stray from the experts' maps as they feel pressure
from power brokers or other local influences, observers say. The
governor of Helmand province aimed 60 per cent of his eradication at
the targeted areas this year, Mr. Belgrove said, while in neighbouring
Kandahar, the governor only followed the maps for 8 per cent of his
campaign.

"We've managed to stay in the target areas in Helmand because we have
a good dialogue with the governor and the task force there," Mr.
Belgrove said.

"Unfortunately, Governor Khalid's eradication has been outside of
those areas," he said. "It's very sad that it's been in some insecure
areas where it's caused deaths."

Canadian troops are usually instructed to avoid interfering with opium
cultivation or eradication; Canadian drug policy focuses on
alternative livelihoods for farmers.

A Canadian military spokesman read a transcript of Mr. Khalid's
comments and responded that there isn't any dispute between the
Canadians and their counterparts in the local government or the Afghan
National Security Forces.

"The spirit of co-operation between Canadian forces, Afghan government
and ANSF is very strong and there are a growing number of mechanisms
in place at the provincial and district level which are leading to
ever closer co-operation and co-ordination," said Lieutenant-Commander
Pierre Babinsky. "We meet regularly with the governor of Kandahar
province on security and other issues."