AFGHANISTAN'S OPIUM

Judging by the pictures we are seeing these days from rugged Afghanistan,
it's a wonder the people there can find enough food and water to survive,
even if there were peace. And their bleak existence has been made far more
tenuous because of three years of drought and decades of war.

But surprisingly, it is reported that 72 percent of the world's supply of
opium and heroin to foolish self-destroying drug users comes from
Afghanistan. Drug production and sales increased under the Taliban rule. In
fact, both the Taliban and many of the other warring factions have financed
their strife by selling opium.

Will the war now solve a major drug problem? It's not likely. War has
simply raised the prices of the stockpiles of opium and heroin still being
shipped out to stupid users.

We are wondering now about who the future rulers of Afghanistan will be,
and are beginning to understand the difficulty of getting the many factions
together.

It's easy to tell who some of the "bad guys" in Afghanistan are, so
far as war and drugs are concerned. But it's hard to identify the
"good guys." There is no assurance yet who will prevail.