While the prior book was primarily focused on southeast asia, this one points towards afghanistan, where the opiate trade has retreated since the american retreat from vietnam. The drug trade in mexico and efforts by the mexican governmentoften with united states assistanceto control the cultivation, sale, and use of narcotics are largely 20thcentury phenomena. Nawa used daryas story to emphasize the role of women and the family in. Opium throughout history the opium kings frontline pbs. Child brides, drug lords, and one womans journey through afghanistan is a 2011 book. Currently, afghanistan produces threequarters of the global opium supply, with injection drug use and hiv currently following the opium trade route through central asia. Afghanistan s opium trade extends at least back to the 1980s when clasupported mujahedeen rebels engaged heavily in drug trafficking while fighting against the.
Sep 14, 2017 the illegal drug trade is sabotaging peace for afghanistan and myanmar in the short term by allowing insurgencies to continue and in the long term by encouraging warlords to continue the fight. An afghan village of drug addicts, from ages 10 to 60. There were 189,000 heroin users in the us in 2001, before the usnato invasion of afghanistan. Some newly affluent farmers use some of the wealth to improve the infrastructure of their neighborhoods. The us drug enforcement agency claims as little as one per cent of us supply is from afghanistan. Cultivating, processing or possessing opium is a violation of afghan law. Afghanistan has been the worlds leading illicit opium producer since 2001. The afghan drug trade has had a disastrous effect on neighboring countries. Nov 21, 2017 conversely, many key powerbrokers in afghanistans south and east whom the united states has embraced, including provincial and police district chiefs, have been implicated in the afghan drug trade. Afghanistans abundant poppy crop can be refined into biodiesel to serve as the countrys principal agricultural product. In this major new book mansfield outlines why and how afghanistan has.
How heroin is bankrolling the taliban and al qaeda by. In four years, the number of regular opium users in afghanistan. Not only is afghanistan the global leader in opium production, but afghans are now the leading consumers of their own drugs. Resurgent afghanistan drug trade threatening us goals. All afghanistan s warring factions are involved in the drug trade to some degree, but 96% of the opium crop is produced in areas controlled by the taliban, a movement of militant islamic students. Mansfields use of original research and field work far exceeds any other writer. Kohrt global 28 march 20 afghanistan drug trade the sound of gunshots fills the empty space right outside the door. Most recently, john abbotsford an excia analyst and war veteran who fought in afghanistan confessed that cia had a role in drug smuggling operations. Afghanistan is the worlds leading producer of opium and heroin.
Opiates originating in afghanistan threaten the health and wellbeing of people in many regions of the world. In trying to describe, understand and explain drug use in afghanistan useful. Drug trafficking in afghanistan the new york times. Indeed, a brand new report from the united nations finds that opium production is at an alltime high common dreams notes the cultivation of opium poppy in afghanistan a nation under the military control of us and nato forces for more than twelve. An afghan village of drug addicts, from ages 10 to 60 npr. Unravelling the american drug cartel in afghanistan real. Irans drug control organisation has said that there are now 2.
Jan 06, 2014 afghanistan s booming narcotics trade risks splintering the country into a fragmented, criminal state if the government and its western allies do not step up efforts to tackle opium production. Cruel harvest lifts the lid on the reality of afghanistan s skyrocketing drug trade and the role played by the us military. In 2012, transparency international ranked afghanistan 174 out of 176 countries in its corruption perceptions index. Jan 11, 2016 in afghanistan, in contrast, drug related fighting is part of a wider pattern of conflicts that have as shown above boosted the illicit drug economy. Pakistan and iran are experiencing serious increases in heroin addiction and hivaids cases linked to intravenous drug use caused by the leakage of heroin transiting these countries. Frank shanty it has been claimed that during the past twentyfive years the opium trade has provided a vast source of funding to the afghan mujahideen, the taliban, and possibly al qaeda. The revenues from the drug trade permeate all factions involved in the conflict. Apr 16, 2019 there are various stages of the drug trade, several interlocked markets, from the impoverished poppy farmer in afghanistan to the wholesale and retail heroin markets in western countries. Us war in afghanistan is fueling global heroin epidemic. Jun 22, 2009 author and former abc news producer gretchen peters talks about her book about the drug trade in afghanistan and pakistan and how it is fueling the insurgency. Afghan drug trade afghanistans opium problem pictures.
The cia continues trafficking drugs from afghanistan. Aug 03, 2009 in this book, which is subtitled how heroin is bankrolling the taliban and al qaeda, gretchen peters estimates that the taliban gets at least 70% of its funding from the heroin trade, and that. Afghanistans opium poppy harvest produces more than 90% of illicit heroin globally, and more than 95% of the european supply. He also considers the recent rise in the use of pharmaceutical drugs, resulting in dangerous chemical cocktails and analyses the effect of afghanistan s drug trade on neighbouring countries. A final consequence of the drug war is that it has created a hotbed of corruption in the afghan government. Afghanistan s opium poppy harvest produces more than 90% of illicit heroin globally, and more than 95% of the european supply. Since 2001, afghanistan has become synonymous with the term narcostate and the associated spread of crime and illegality. Opium has been cultivated in afghanistan since 1100 a. Cannabis in afghanistan has been cultivated for centuries, and experienced relatively little interference until the 1970s, whereafter it became an issue both in international politics and in the finance of the series of wars which occurred in afghanistan for forty years. In 2004, the g8 designated britain to lead counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws. More land is used for opium in afghanistan than is used for coca cultivation in latin america. The terrorists are funding their operations through illicit drug trade, so they are all interlinked. Ambassador tony wayne discusses economic crisis in argentina, interviewing kiss in buenos aires, the illegal drug trade in mexico, health and education in afghanistan, and raising a family in the foreign service.
The drug trade is also run exclusively by afghans, at least up to the national borders. Afghanistans role in irans drug problem council on. David macdonald tells a story about the diversity of drug use in afghanistan that. Oct 01, 1990 drug use and abuse, 8th edition, takes an interdisciplinary approach in its coverage of current drug issues. This chaos is a direct result of the afghanistan drug trade. Drug trade in mexico oxford research encyclopedia of.
Afghanistan s abundant poppy crop can be refined into biodiesel to serve as the countrys principal agricultural product. Historians have long neglected afghanistans broader history when portraying the opium industry. While peters has extensively researched the connections between the afghanistan insurgency, the numerous regional actors, and the poppy trade, the book suffers from a lack of broader context. Little discussion is given to the flows of opium once it exits the region beyond a brief mention of europe being the primary recipient. He examines the impact of over 25 years of continuous conflict, and shows how poverty and instability has led to an increase in drugs consumption. Parallels afghanistan is not just a world leader in producing drugs. As to the recent past, a 2003 unodc report says opium poppy was not really a traditional crop in afghanistan and that unlike many other countries in the region, afghanistan did not have much of an opium culture in the past. A drug enforcement administration dea agent, edward follis, stated that the cia turned a blind eye to the drug trade in afghanistan. Kabul dispatch shes a force of nature, and she just declared war on peace with the taliban laila haidari s popular kabul restaurant, where men and women dine freely together, finances her drug treatment center. A historical overview of statebuilding and drug production in afghanistan. Maintaining a global perspective, this groundbreaking study details the mechanics of drug trafficking in asia, europe, the middle east, and south and central america.
Penetrating every stage of afghan opium chain, taliban become. The drug trade accounted for most of its tax revenues, much of its export income, and a significant share of its employment. The biggest drug traffickers in afghanistan are those friendly to the afghan government and u. The golden chessboard that constitutes the global drug trade is allencompassing and far reaching. A new book by paula bronstein features a collection of her photographs taken in afghanistan, showing both the beautiful and the horrific in a visual compendium of what has happened on the ground. Their illicit trade also adversely impacts governance, security, stability and developmentin afghanistan, in its neighbours, in the broader region and beyond. A rise in drug use in iran is one overlooked consequence of the surge in opium production in the talibanrun provinces of southern afghanistan. Key findings drug use in afghanistan on the rise illicit drug use has increased across the country, dramatically so for opium, heroin and other opiates.
The number of afghan drug addicts now stands at nearly three million. As wikipedia notes opium production in afghanistan has been on the rise since u. As the economics of prohibition literature makes clear, making products illegal invites corruption by creating bribery opportunities for crooked politicians who want a slice of the drug trade profit. War, and also the cocaine out of south america, and the heroin out of afghanistan. Abuse of other patent drugs as well as multiple drug abuse by the. Taliban control of heroin drug production trafficking in. However, in cruel harvest julien mercille shows that the us in fact shares responsibility by supporting drug lords, refusing to adopt effective drug control policies and failing to crack down. Jan 09, 2018 the drug trade accounted for most of its tax revenues, much of its export income, and a significant share of its employment. In 2007, 93% of the nonpharmaceuticalgrade opiates on the world market originated in afghanistan. On the cultural history of opium and how poppy came to. This book explores the devastating impact that the drugs trade has had on the afghan people. The taliban, al qaeda, the global drug trade, and afghanistan as a dominant opium source. Given the devastating effects of the drug trade on afghanistan s economic growth and political stability, it is imperative that reducing opium production should continue to be a policy priority.
Solitary abuse of one single drug, either hashish or opium, is the common feature of drug abuse in afghanistan. As we look at the future of afghanistan, it is impossible to envision success without sustaining an afghan capability to fight the violence and corruption created by the drug trade. Afghanistan and pakistan increased production and became major suppliers of opiates to western europe and north america in the mid1970s, when political instability combined with a prolonged drought disrupted supplies from the golden triangle. The drug trade is now imbedded in all parts of afghan politics, and maintains the corruption at very high levels. Drug trade could splinter afghanistan into fragmented. Afghanistan has one of the highest rates of drug use in the world, with an estimated 3 million addicts, around 10 percent of its population of 30 million. Afghanistan drug addicts volunteer in country with growing. Feb 26, 2009 the terrorists are funding their operations through illicit drug trade, so they are all interlinked. This book explores the devastating impact that the drugs trade has had on the. July 9, 2009 opium harvested from poppy fields in afghanistan is helping to fund.
The secret story of how america lost the drug war with the taliban. Oct 03, 2001 the afghan drug trade has had a disastrous effect on neighboring countries. The 1949 unodc report quoted earlier said that, according to the then most recent data sent by the afghan government in 1937, in 1932 the area. As my book details, afghanistan has been tied to the growth of the global drug trade for a century, if not more, and a reduction in the role of opium in this country is more of a reflection of the global drug trade and the failures of the international drug policies, than it is a failure of afghanistan. First published in 2005, updated in january 2015 and april 2017.
The number of afghans addicted to opium and other drugs has soared 60% since 2009 to as many as 1. Two recent media reports on state corruption are graeme smith, afghan officials in drug trade cut deals across enemy lines, globe and mail, march 21, 2009, and james risen, reports link karzais brother to afghanistan heroin trade, new york times, october 4, 2008. Seeds of terror is a groundbreaking triumph of reporting, a book that changed u. Helmand is all about drugs, poppy and taliban, he said. The two major drugs abused in afghanistan are hashish and opium.
Highstakes plan to indict afghan drug lords on conspiracy charges ran. Number of drug addicts in iran doubles in six years. Jan 06, 2006 is afghanistan s drug trade paying al qaeda. Feb 17, 2016 while the taliban have long profited from the taxation and protection of the drug trade in afghanistan, insurgents are taking more direct roles and claiming spots higher up in the opium chain. From an estimated 200,000 opium and heroin addicts in 2005, the number rose to nearly a million in 2009 and reached between 1. A dea agent, edwrad follis, stated that the cia turned a blind eye to the drug trade in afghanistan. This is coupled with the fact that certain members of the present afghan central government allegedly profit from and have direct ties to the countrys drug trade curtis, 2005. The taliban, al qaeda, the global drug trade, and afghanistan. British troops patrol helmand province in southern afghanistan. The commander of nato forces in afghanistan, the us general, dan mcneill, pledged to take his mandate to the limit to target drug.
It is located north of the arabian sea, and it borders many. Afghanistans opium production is through the roofwhy. Conventional accounts blame the taliban for the expansion of drug production. How the heroin trade explains the usuk failure in afghanistan. Afghanistan s illicit drug economy is unprecedented in its scale and has been deeply entrenched within the coun. Theres clear evidence that the drugs trade fuels the insurgency.
Helmand, home to an estimated 80% of afghanistan s opium poppies, is a big drug factory, a western official told afp earlier this year. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. From 2016 to 2017, the area under opium poppy cultivation in afghanistan increased by 63 percent, to 328,000 hectares ha. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws. How the us militarys opium war in afghanistan was lost. In other words, there is a hierarchy of prices for opiates. But inpoppies, politics, and power, james tharin bradford rebalances the discourse, showing that it is not the past forty years of lawlessness that makes the opium industry what it is, but the sheer breadth of the twentiethcentury afghanistan experience. Afghanistan first began producing opium in significant quantities in the mid1950s, to supply its neighbor iran after poppy cultivation was banned there. Oct 16, 1997 all afghanistan s warring factions are involved in the drug trade to some degree, but 96% of the opium crop is produced in areas controlled by the taliban, a movement of militant islamic students. Nov 27, 2015 the drug trade is now imbedded in all parts of afghan politics, and maintains the corruption at very high levels. People are screaming and loved ones are holding each other, fearing for their lives. In it, gretchen peters exposes the deepening relationship between the taliban and drug traffickers, and traces decades of americas failure to disrupt the opium production that helps fund extremism. Refining biodiesel from poppies sanctions an illicit activity. Apr 09, 2011 the drug trade connected to the insurgency is a small fraction of the total.
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