AFGHAN POPPIES, AMERICAN DILEMMA

To the Editor:

Rather than turn a blind eye, the United States government should
simply purchase the region's entire poppy crop directly from its
farmers. We could then sell this raw material to legitimate
pharmaceutical companies worldwide for the manufacture of morphine and
related opiates, destroying any excess still in our possession.

Direct purchase of the region's poppy crops by the United States would
prevent drug-related profits from flowing to the Taliban, all but
eliminate local corruption surrounding the drug trade and allow local
farmers to make a living doing what they are good at -- growing poppies.

We, in turn, would establish an American presence that actually
benefits the people of the region.

John Karol

Orford, N.H.