OPIUM A CONCERN IN WAR ON TERRORISM

WASHINGTON -- Opium could again flow from Afghanistan should the United
States make war on terrorism in the region, U.S. and U.N. officials say.

The officials said they are concerned the ruling Taliban will lift their
recent ban on poppy cultivation in its territory in an effort to raise
money to finance fighting against the United States.

Harvesting of poppies for opium could also increase if the Taliban loses
authority over parts of Afghanistan, because farmers would no longer fear
reprisals for growing the highly profitable cash crop.

Afghanistan had been the world's leading producer of opium before the
Taliban, citing Islamic religious principles, banned it in July 2000.
Farmers complied, resulting in a 97 percent drop in opium production.

Opium had been an important source of revenue for the Taliban as they
fought an opposition coalition in the northern part of the country, netting
the group tens of millions of dollars a year, said one U.S. official.

No U.S. officials interviewed Wednesday, all of whom spoke on condition of
anonymity, nor U.N. officials, said they have evidence that the ban has
been lifted.

"After the 11th of September, our line of communication and information of
Afghanistan has been drastically reduced," said Pino Arlacchi, executive
director of the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention.

With the next six-month growing season set to begin in October, farmers
will have to choose between planting poppies or the much less profitable
wheat crop.

"Hundreds of thousands of farmers are asking themselves what to plant this
year: wheat or opium," Arlacchi said. "If they plant now, they will get a
harvest around April or May next year. Will the Taliban be there April or
May next year."

Arlacchi said opium is a good crop for bad times because it requires little
water and can be sold easily.

In 2000, Afghanistan produced about 4,000 tons of opium, accounting for
about 75 percent of the world market. Almost all of it was consumed as
heroin in Europe or other opiates in Asia. Most heroin sold in the United
States comes from Latin America.

After the ban, production in 2001 fell to 81 tons, according to the State
Department. Of those, 76 tons came from areas controlled by the northern
alliance, the primary opposition to the Taliban in Afghanistan. The
alliance is believed to fund its effort in part through opium trafficking,
as well.

The drop in supply caused the wholesale price per pound to soar from about
$15 to as high as $350, according to U.N. officials. The ban earned rare
praise for the Taliban, which have been repeatedly denounced for links to
terrorists, suppression of women and destruction of relics of other religions.

U.S. and international officials have remained skeptical of the Taliban's
commitment to drug eradication. Some suspected the Taliban were trying to
cut supply to raise prices and control the market. They also said the
Taliban hadn't wiped out existing stockpiles, which the United Nations said
could total 100 tons.

This week, wholesale prices fell, according to U.N. figures, leading to
speculation that Afghan traffickers may already be selling their stock.

But Arlacchi said that doesn't mean the Taliban would be involved in the sales.

"Criminal groups, who are as powerful as the Taliban and as powerful as
anyone else in Afghanistan, have full control of those stockpiles," he said.

Before Sept. 11, the United States had planned to provide about $2 million
in aid for Afghan farmers to help compensate them for losses resulting from
opium eradication.

Additional aid was considered for farmers in areas controlled by the
opposition. State Department and U.N. officials said northern alliance
leaders have agreed to help eradicate opium.

In March, the State Department said in its annual narcotics report that the
"northern alliance has taken no action of which we are aware against
cultivation and trafficking in its area."