ARMY FEARS HIGH TIMES FOR TROOPS

OTTAWA - Canadian soldiers patrolling in Afghanistan are at a "very
high" risk of using local drugs thanks to rock bottom prices, says a
military criminal intelligence report. A July 2003 Military Police
criminal intelligence program interim report obtained by Sun Media
under the Access to Information Act warns deploying soldiers to a drug
producing country like Afghanistan on Operation Athena could produce
"nightmares."

According to the report the Canadian Forces national investigation
service "... rate the risk of CF members involvement in illicit drug
activities while deployed to OP Athena as high to very high."

Afghanistan is the world's largest hash exporter and recently became
the world's top supplier of opium. Opium production in Afghanistan
represents 73% of the world's total production.

"Further, the deployment to, and CF operations in, a leading drug
source country, provide a number of hypothetical 'nightmares' for
Commanders on the ground and MP (military police) tasked to
investigate any incidents that arise from this perceived," the report
says.

The intelligence report raises a red flag on a legal Afghani chewing
tobacco called nasuar which is made of hash.

"Soldiers interviewed with regards to the use of nasuar state the
taste of the substance is an 'acquired one,' " the report says.

Canadian soldiers working at observation posts are approached by young
children and offered roughly a gram of nasuar for about $1 U.S.,
military intelligence says.

Capt. Mark Giles, spokesman for the military's national investigation
service, says he can't comment on whether there are ongoing
investigations of soldiers using drugs in Afghanistan.

The intelligence report also says that drug investigations in Canada
are sapping resources and many bases don't have the staff to battle
drugs.