THE DRUG WAR

Isn't it remarkable that roughly 50 percent of the Afghan GNP is
drug-related, mostly heroin?

The Taliban was one of the worst regimes on the planet but they did
one good thing: They wiped out the entire opium poppy (heroin) industry.

When we invaded in 2001, there were no poppy fields - none, zilch,
zero - thanks to the Taliban.

Now there are 24,000 acres of poppies. Who was in charge as
Afghanistan went from 0 percent to 86 percent of the world supply of
opium poppies?

You could say the United States was in charge. It is probably more
accurate to say no one was in charge and there was virtually no
planning to prevent the re-emergence of drugs as the backbone of the
Afghan economy.

Another golden opportunity squandered by the Bush administration. What
a shame.

Paul Heller,

Farmers Branch