AFGHAN POPPIES, AMERICAN DILEMMA

To the Editor:

I find it intriguing that United States military commanders in
Afghanistan are now rejecting opium eradication efforts. Surely even
those who are implacably opposed to drug legalization cannot escape
the implication that, when such pragmatic leaders take the stance that
the "war" on drugs is counterproductive, perhaps it is time to
reconsider the effects this endless "war" is having closer to home.

If we ended drug prohibition and instead regulated opium, we could cut
out a major source of funding for terrorist organizations and drug
cartels while winning over the rural populations in Afghanistan. This
is equally true of other illegal drugs, which finance vicious gangs,
crime syndicates and cartels in the United States and abroad.

Jonathan Kolber

Denver