AFGHAN PRESS SOUNDS DRUG ALARM

Afghan newspapers urge the authorities and international community to
redouble their efforts to eradicate illegal drug production - echoing
calls from delegates at a major anti-narcotics conference in Kabul
this week.

It is fortunate that the international community is now concentrating
on preventing the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics. We expect
drastic measures to eradicate this venomous crop as a result of the
conference held recently in Kabul.

Hewad

A glance at history shows that there has always been only one way of
eradicating the cultivation and production of narcotics, and that is
through the use of force.

Kabul Weekly

The cultivation and smuggling of narcotics have emerged from perpetual
war and insecurity... But there is firm confidence that the campaign
against narcotics will have fruitful results if we introduce security
and the rule of law to the country, strengthen the central government
and speed up the reconstruction process with the assistance of the
international community.

Anis

The question is: why did drug production rise in such an unprecedented
way last year? Considering our political stability and the presence of
the international community in the country, it should have gone down.
This shows that the international community has so far failed to
succeed in fighting narcotics. Furthermore, it is reported that the US
authorities are not willing to fight seriously against drugs... They
fear this could generate resentment from the warlords.

Thabat

Wretched farmers... are not the main people responsible for the
expansion in the cultivation and smuggling of narcotics. The real
people responsible are those who possess money and power.

Payam-e Mellat

Smugglers who give money to farmers in advance and encourage them to
cultivate poppy should be arrested and punished severely; special
attention should be paid to the country's security; the legitimate
demands and difficulties of the country's farmers should be addressed;
and the national army and police should be trained as soon as possible.

Anis

Although the Afghan government has drawn the attention of the United
Nations and the interested countries to the problem over the past two
years, the outcome has only been failure and an increase in poppy
cultivation.

Erada

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