U.S. TO TARGET AFGHAN DRUG TRAFFIC

Millions From Narcotics Fuel Taliban's Resurgence

WASHINGTON -- A stepped-up anti-drug-trafficking effort is emerging
as a key part of a broad Bush administration revision in strategy for
the war in Afghanistan, U.S. officials say.

The strategy review comes as U.S. forces face increased violence in
Afghanistan and reflects a growing consensus that drug trafficking
has become essential to a Taliban resurgence.

"I don't think we appreciated how fast the Taliban was coming back
when it got drug money," said Dell Dailey, the State Department's
counterterrorism coordinator. "You can build an army real fast if
you've got money in your pocket."

The fundamentalist Taliban ruled Afghanistan and harbored al-Qaeda
terrorists until the regime was toppled by a U.S.-led invasion in 2001.

More than 90% of the world's opium poppy crop came from Afghanistan
last year, according to a United Nations report. The Pentagon
estimates the Taliban makes $60 million to $80 million a year from
drug trafficking.

The administration's strategic review is likely to be completed after
the election.

Some strategy adjustments are already being made. At the urging of
Defense Secretary Robert Gates, NATO defense ministers authorized a
counternarcotics role this month for their forces in Afghanistan.

It is limited to targeting drug networks supporting the Taliban, and
the operations would be conducted alongside Afghan forces. It does
not involve eradication of the poppy crop.

Washington is considering expanding anti-drug efforts further.

"What we probably need to do is highlight the problem this drug
movement into Europe presents to the Europeans and get" greater
involvement in counternarcotics efforts, Dailey said.

The military has to be careful to strike a balance in fighting the
drag trade. Alienating poppy farmers could hurt efforts to win over
the population, as the poppy is such a large portion of the economy.

The key is to target the trafficking and not the farmers, said
Barnett Rubin, an Afghanistan expert at New York University.

Afghanistan has been "drifting toward becoming a narco-state," said
James Jones, a retired Marine general who served as commander of NATO
forces through 2006.

There have been 251 coalition deaths in Afghanistan this year,
compared with 232 for all of last year, according to icasualties.org,
a website that tracks war deaths.

"There will definitely be some adjustments" in U.S. strategy toward
Afghanistan and Pakistan, said retired general Jack Keane, a key
architect of the Iraq troop escalation strategy and close adviser to
Gen. David Petraeus.

Among the likely changes: More U.S. troops will go to Afghanistan as
they draw down in Iraq, the Afghan army will expand, and the
coalition will step up efforts to work with tribes.

Washington also wants to help Pakistan stop militants in the tribal
region that borders Afghanistan, which has become a Taliban safe haven.