He got in the drug trade (supplier of raw materials) and then was shocked at what happened.  Almost as shocked as those farmers who stoped growing foodstuffs and started growing poppies and are now starving.  see the connection?

Jim,
What you fail to realize is that, in many of the countries that primarily function off of "drug" agriculture, it has not been until recently that a crackdown on drugs has occured. In the past, not only was this practice a common part of culture, it was often the most profitable practice... and the safest. There are commonly drug lords that will kill, kidnap, extort and generally make life hell for farmers who refuse to grow "drug" plants for them.
The best way for us to help is to continue witht he efforts to crack down on the drug lords, but we also need to reform the way that we monetarily help other countries. Problems like this, along with the global drug trade itself, would falter if the industrialized nations of the world would make growing corn, rice, or wheat more profitable than growing Coca plants or poppies.

Too little too late.  We've lost Afghanistan and anything we try to do over there is only going to make things worse.  There is no excuse that we should have lost them except we just weren't paying them much attention.  I hold the Bush regime responsible for abandoning Afghanistan in order to get us mired into the equally hopeless situation in Iraq.  We have lost both countries and you can toss Pakistan in with them.  Thank you George Bush.  Thank you Dick Cheney.

I would say no one FORCED him to sell his daughter.  He decided she was one possession he could get rid of with the least pain and regret.  This is just an example of how badly women are treated in Afghanistan.  If she was sold ! then she is a slave bride.  Tell it like it is.

Since our  military is there ,right? And Dow chemical still the formula for Agent Orange,right.So,how the Hell come the Air Force has'nt defoliated that vermin infested Hellhole of a so called country, purely in the name of a world wide public service. And after the dust settles go in,round up all those "poor farmers" and those "bankers" and any one else involved,in drug and human trafficing, and shoot them on sight. The pain and misery that is exported from that toilet of a country,is nothing short of mass murder.

Why are we (the US) getting involved with these people?  Let them grow what they want to.  We need to protect our borders and our people.  The main reason that opium and cocaine are sold because there is a demand for it.  What do we do to stop the demand?

The solution to this much simpler if a farmer is found growing drug crops instead of food crops, you simply execute them.  Solves the problem on so many levels, 1) cuts down surplus population, 2) smaller population leaves more food for law abiding people, 3) sets a perfect example for those who consider opium farming a good idea, 4) daughter can no live a normal life without having an idiot for a father.  Besides if you own somebody money, they should be taken the debt out of your flesh, not your children.  That's why these people still are, and always will be a third world nation.

It's always the women and children who suffer from the stupidity of men.

What part of the game is this? Now that the production of Afganistan herion has passed all records there is to be a crackdown.
I think the crackdown only applies to certain growers.
Like drug dealers in NY, the turf must be controlled.
The crackdown is culling out the least favored dealers. Business will continue and Afganistan(under the US govt.) will continue to supply the world with US grade A herion. Sanctioned by our government and supported by our tax dollars.

I guess there's a "catch 22" everywhere.  But I didn't see this one coming.  Let's see how we try to clean this one up.  Maybe we'll declare 'Opium Husbands' a new terrorist group, and a threat to our national security and send our troops to handle it.

p.s.  did we inadvertantly start or create a slave trade in Afghinastan for these pushers?

well i guess we could do what obama hussein wants us to do, surrender to the terrorists and withdraw our troops and let a newly formed taliban and reformed al qaeda control the opium trade.

If we would legalize drugs and tax the proceeds all this nonsense would stop.  

The real problem is here.  If we would stop buying the stuff, they would stop growing it.  Drug problem solved.

Has everyone completely forgotten that all the major drug companies also buy this opium product for their drugs like morphine, and all the other opiates that we (the American "legal" drug users) take on a daily basis.  Oil in Iraq and Opium poppy fields in Afganistan... the only reasons we are in the Middle east...    Merk, Phiser, Bayer, you name it, they all play a part in the drug trade more than the common street junkie, and they are controlling Washington more than you think.

If the US and other countries would decriminalize all recreational drugs, this problem would go away by itself. The major profits would go away, it wouldnt be worth anyone's while to produce opium...there would be more profitable crops to grow. Like crops for ethanol....
No one says drugs are good....but get rid of the moral argument and just let idiots abuse what they want. Anyone who wants drugs now, gets them. Prohibition proves we cannot win this war. Get off your moral high horses, decriminalize drugs, and then penalize anyone who commits crimes while under the influence.

these people are so poor, that they cant come up with $2000.00 to save their life...and thats why they're growing opium. And thats what happens when people dont have any opportunities, they turn to things like selling drugs. the same things happens in poor neighborhoods in this country, people turn to selling drugs, or violent crime because they dont have any other opportunities.

Ridicules, everyone knew Afghanistan was a country on the virge of rehab.  If it's been almost a decade since the taliban was overthrown, and they're still on the program, that to me is a complete failure.  The previous poster who mentioned the US shouldn't meddle in the affairs of other countries is blatantly biased and downright ignorant.  Drug pushers and drug addicts don't abide by the law and they'll use every evil means to get what they want.  You've got to cut off the head of the snake, and as long as the warlords are in power nothing will change.  Look at Africa, how pathetic.  Farmers and pitch forks are no match for today's technological warfare, you've gotta nuke them out of their shells.          

I am getting so disappionted with this world, I am wondering still, if there is more good than bad?

A very simple answer - legalize it!
Then the Afgans will be even richer than the Saudis and this problem will disappear.
Of course with the huge number of small-minded idiots like the "Bills" above, that common sense answer will be never be used in this country. Instead, we will continue to waste billions of dollar on "The War On Drugs" with probably less success than the quagmire of Iraq. And young girls will continue to be sold into slavery. But at least Bill will be happy, and that's more important, right Bill?

Wake up. The REASON we invaded Afghanistan in the FIRST place, is that poppy is the NUMBER ONE cash-crop on the PLANET. Period. It makes oil, look like penny corn, and the US has been running drugs from other countries since the inception of the CIA. Look at Manuel Noriega. C'mon people, since we invaded Afghanistan, poppy production has almost tripled under our watchful eye, so,  Think about it. Who has the equipment, gunpower, and sanctioned airstrips, to ship and insure that 100 BILLION dollar crop to all corners of the earth?

If western political and economic powers did not declare opium and the painkillers it produces to be "Illegal" this would not be a problem.
Drug laws make the liquor and cigarette industries richer.  Drug laws make non violent users into criminals by making their drugs so expensive they have to steal to pay for them.  Drug laws make smugglers richer, organized crime richer, and ultimately, divert funds into an underground economy.

Where is there a benefit to the drug laws?  I can not see it.  Sure, if heroin were legal many unwise individuals would die from drugs, but wouldn't that be a smaller price for society to pay?

Its not like the drug war is keeping anyone from getting drugs, it just means they can not be regulated, checked for contimanants or poisons.

American tobacoo is the largest drug trade in the world.  America was built on that drug trade and slavery.

So you Americans need to STFU.

I find it interesting that so many Americans forget that drugs in any form will always exist. To be realistic the function of drugs is an essential component to modern medicine. Try getting a tooth pulled without them. As for the rest I will make this short--- We are in other countries fighting wars because no Red Blooded American will sit and tolerate another incident like 9/11. As American's from all nations of the world, we expect to be safe therefore, when an attacker threatens to bring war to our nation we expect our government to eliminate and remove that threat. So the question is---- do you want the war to be brought here or do you take a stand and accept the cost and sacrifice to keep it there. Like it or not the presence of the U.S. is essential to the stability of that entire region. Quit blaming and be proud you are an American and have the freedom to disagree!!!

Yo,Bill Fitz!
When our forefathers invaded this continent,they brought disease,firearms & alcohol to decimate the natives.They all came from Europe[very civilized& not a toilet of a country]and yet it was the Indians that we were shooting on sight,lets not forget.

We've had a proven solution for years:

http://www.poppyformedicine.net/

The Afghan people, and most of the NATO allies are all for it. But the US is against it because drying up the enemy's funding would mean an end to the war. Fighting an endless war allows the defense lobbyist/campaign contributors to bleed the American taxpayers dry. It's a sweet deal for them and the politicians they get elected.

Never mind all those people in 3rd world countries who get Tylenol for third degree burns because they can't afford morphine.

This should bring a revolt of the female half of Afghanistan, giving them yet more freedom...more equality.

I bought a time share and couldn't pay for it. So I mortgaged my home just to preserve my credit. If the time share people had only asked me to sell them my wife....

I'm sorry. Is it not possible for our governments collectively to purchase the poppy crops themselves? Can they not pay more than what the markets offer, no matter what that sum is? Why does this make sense for corn farmers in Kansas, dairymen in Wisconsin, cheesemakers in France, and rice farmers in Italy, but not in Afghanistan? If we are serious about denying the revenues to the terrorists and controlling the resulting flow of narcotics to the consuming countries, why are we not doing this? Buy all of it. Not some, not picking and choosing - all of it. It's easy to follow the money then, and if any of it goes in directions we don't like...well, that's what UAVs and smart munitions are for.

Bill F., cool it! Afghanistan is not vermin infested!  Yes there are some people there who have done horrific deeds but that doesn't mean that the rest of the country is bad! Stop stereotyping!

It's too bad that we create the profitable black market for these drugs in the first place.  Did we not learn a lesson from prohibition?  If the U.S. govt could legally buy the opium crop and use it to make medicine then the farmers would be making money AND would be supporting the U.S. as their best customer.  Drug dealers would be cut out of the picture altogether, would have no turf and therefore no turf wars.  Just like when they decided to regulate the sale of Alcohol.  When is the last time you saw two bartenders shooting each other over turf?

I don't think the US inadvertently started a"slave trade" in Afghanistan for pushers.  They made these choices. On the "lets creata terrorist group" comment, these are more real than we like to think which I believe will be proved out over the next few years.  

Goes to show you how women are treated over there. I thought all of this was supposed to change once the Taliban was sent "on the run." The US missed a great opportunity to help this poor country. Yeah, Bush did a heck of a job. Not!

What many of you fail to realize is that afghanistan has a history of being screwed over by corrupt people. Being from that country I know  it's a wasteland thanks to decades of war. And since farmers can get more bang for a buck with opium, and opium can grow in more harsh areas, its what gets them food on the table. As a matter a fact during the 1980's the russinans invaded afghanistan, in wich the musluim men in the world flocked to fight. In turn pakistan , saudi and the united states funded mujahadeen who were the precusour of the Taliban.
And Bill from Delaware you gotta respect other countries, the mentallity you have is exactly why war happens. It s one thing the farmers are doing something wrong, its another to degrade their presitge of that country.
ANd Bill R, that solution will only cause more problems, you only motivate the enemy, plus its morally wrong because now we have A surplus of widows and daughters who probably won't have a normal life without a farther, because women need men as a breadwinner in that country.
As for the opuim bride business its gotta stop. I hope these farmers realize that cultivating opium is forbidden, its against the Religon of islam to sell intoxicating drugs. And to sell your daughter out without her consent, but of course we have Radicals over there telling them whats right from wrong. The afghans will pull through though, they have a rep for toughing out rough situations

Stupid Americans can't even deal with their own country, their own drug culture, their own absurdity at the height of arrogance. America is in deep doo-doo and we think the best we can do is distract ourselves in Afghanistan and Iraq when the real problem is right here in the collective mirror. This country gets exactly what it deserves.

Hey you fat pigs, keep driving thos big fat trucks to haul your big fat behinds to that subsidized pig farm you call home. I mean...wake up you dopes. Who do you think is buying the opium...duuuuhhhhhh....Americans?!

Pat Tillman was killed by his own troops because he was going to blow the lid on covert drug operations within the military in Afghanistan. He gave up $8 million to go fight a fricken war and when he saw what he saw he said NO WAY MAN, I'M GOIN PUBLIC...the next day they shot him down in some bogus canyon operation, plain and simple...murder...by corrupt American military, fighting a corrupt American War....you want to change something change your government and your own culture then you can go dancing around the world demaning tribal people live up to your hypoctite expectations. Guess what I'm trying to say is STFU Americans you have no voice left in this world unless it's attached to a gun.

I think that no matter how you look at it, it is a sad situation. It is probably an even sadder situation  if you look at it from their point of veiw.(afghinastan). I would like to think that the little toilet of a country trys to do the best they can with what they have (which is not very much). Just like I would like to think that in this big bathroom of the world, we try to do the best we can from our giant gold toilet in the front, and neither one of us is excempt from making decisions that we regret.

There is always gonna be a demand for any drug because of all the stress and b.s. people in general go through. Some deal with it by watching tv or listening to music. Honestly people who cares! I think it's a terrible thing for a parent to even think about giving their child up because of a brain fart on their part, but people die and do dumb things every day. We should focus more the governments and leaders of these countries and ours. We would not have access to alot of negative thing if the government didn't feed it to us or let it leak to us. Things such as newspaper, CNN, and msn.com. Freedom of speech is wonderful but how much of it is a lie, really?

opium has been grown there since the beginning of time Bush didn't cause this! Here's an idea let's not engage these bastards and see where they strike next hopefully they fly a plane or drive their truck into your home! I know it's our policy they are against, my ass! Wake up and learn some history about the foundation of Islam.

It cost way more than $2k to send Jim Maceda and his film crew over there to try and make us feel guilty about poor, illiterate dirt farmers. Want to solve the problem? Don’t send Jim, give the farmer $3k and a bag of seeds after you destroy his crop. Then when the real drug dealer/smuggler comes for his money/drugs arrest or kill him. Where do we get the money?  Well NBC probably could help out a little for exploiting the dirt farmers or take $3 from everyone who gets arrested world wide for possessing, selling, transporting etc. heroin. A quick search on the internet says 557,600 arrests in 2005 in the USA alone. $1.6 mil a year. Even with half of that money going to administrative costs at least 100,000 dirt farmers don’t have to sell their daughters next year. Plus the added bonus of cutting off 10 times that money to the terrorists, insurgents and Warlords. Give me 4 years I'll make it happen. Tom Collins '08

We can thank the CIA for setting up this crap in the 60s and 70s so the "getto" could be rnundated with cheap dope. Now, years later, other young people have to pay  the price for our lying and stealing,and killing,

supply and demand....
no demand, no supply...
no brides.

Please, everyone see the elephant in the room... the whole problem is typical of prohibition which moves the drug trade -- 20% of the global economy by some estimates -- into the criminal realm where this stuff happens.

A legal, regulated, controlled system would enable us to ration supply to registered users, tax the stuff, reduce the number of people in jail and stop young girls being sold to unscrupulous drug lords.

This debate is about prohibition and this story is typical of the horror that it brings, without solving any of the problems of drug use itself.

You guys act like as if US is the problem or Afgan or the people.  Its simple business, a dirty dirty one at that.

But what people in our own country wont let us do is to deal with it in the only language they understand.  They dont have a geniva convention to uphold etc etc, they are not civil upclassed minds doing this, they are effect and brutal, and sadly brutal is very very effective.

So liberals, please leave us alone let us go in there deal with it the way it needs to be dealt with, no video cams please dont want your stomach to get upset, and deal with it.  Trust me string up a few drug lords and their Helpers on stakes beheaded etc etc attilla the hun style and they will get the message...

dont blame bush dont blame anybody but people that wont let us deal with it the way it needs to be dealt with, blame them...

I just finished one year teaching in Kabul at the American University of Afghanistan and can verify Afghanis don't want us telling them what crops to grow and not grow. It's a total scam when US AID encourages cotton production as a poppy-replacement crop but won't even consider industrial hemp, which is a food and energy source as well as a textile. We need to re-think our presence in Afghanistan.

I HAVE NOT READ ONE PATRIOTIC COMMENT FROM NONE OF YOU. YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM WITH THIS COUNTRY. ALL ANYONE DOES IS BITCH AND MOAN ABOUT HOW BAD YOU HAVE IT IN THE U.S. IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT HERE LEAVE. WE CAN FIND A MONKEY ON A LEASH TO TAKE OUR PLACE.

Folks,that old myth about creating a problem for those folks is just that,a myth.We have a Christian country, and those folks are primarily Muslims. they hate us,and the fact is,they will do anything they can to cause US a problem. Our money,and the rest of the worlds that buy their narcotics from them,are only funding their weapons purchases,and allowing them to do anything in their power to kill Christians.As for the "slave trade" get real, and study your history of that region. They were "taking" slaves for their own uses long before there was a United States!These people have fought and quarreled for centuries,and if anyone thinks it will stop soon,for any reason,then they are living in a dream world.Now, I am not being rude,nor a cynic,and I respect anyones opinion to say what they think about the situation there,but remember ,these people have made slaves of their own people, the United States didn't do it for them.As to the opium trade,when there is a demand for ANY product, there will be a supply if the profits are high enough.And the US is full of addicts,as are ALL other countries. Believe me, I have worked in 54 different countries in my life,and they are in all of them,not just the US..Our problem here is the fact that we should be taking care of our own first,and instead of paying for the other countries that are constantly trying to kill Americans with money we give them,show them publicly what we will do if our citizens are harmed in any way.And instead of supporting the Muslim countries,give them a  taste of the same "religion" and "mercy" that they gave the Templars in the days of the butcher"Salidin" when he was raping,killing,and making slaves of anyone that would not convert to Islam after he had pillaged their villages!Believe me when I say I can back up anything I have written here whether you choose to like what I have written,or just plain want to argue out of not knowing the history of those"poor" people that are being made slaves of!When the bottom falls out of this country of ours,and believe me,it could happen,then you watch how the Muslims show US any mercy if we need any help!Thank you for your patience and I hope you all have a great day.

O.K. lets start at the top.  Afghanistan has been ravaged by wars (remember the Soviets?) for decades and certain crops grow best in certain terrains.  Like the Peruvians and the Colombians, he grew what was the most profitable crop to provide for his family in desparate times.  And,like all producers of illegal substances, he sold to the local wholesaler who is (SURPRISE!!) a crime lord! So... what was this $2,000 debt?  (Can we say indentured servitude?  America practiced that and worse!) In a country where $2 a day is good, that's a BIG debt.  Facing death and, loss of support for your remaining family, what would you do?  Some of the international "charity" organizations are just as rife with self-serving, money hoarding (read: "whore"ding), management that there are no guarantees of where the relief goes.  corrupt governments recieve the goods and determine whom, with favors owed, recieves said supplies.
Defoiliation ruins the fields for different crops so you have still sentenced the families to a slower death and greater depravation.
We must start at the top of the organization.  Like the Hydra, chop off the head and burn the neck quickly, then move to the next.  It is not about removing the demand (to dream, the impossible dream!)but to remove the profit.  If it costs you too much to manufacture (more than the public is willing to pay)you will find another, more profitable enterprise and leave your suppliers to fend for themselves.  We are one of the few nations to pay our farmers to not produce and still kept prices reasonable!

if you don't have something good to say...

I agree with Laurie, I would die trying to keep those men from taking my daughter. He had a choice and his daughter was worth 2 grand to him. Sad, but thats just the way it is there. As a recovering opiate addict I say the solution is getting rid of the demand for opiates, Period!

Laurie Rasmussen You surprise me with you regurgitation of the Feminazi Mantra. Here are the facts...68% of Domestic Violence is done by women. 87% of all child abuse id done by women. Women are 23 times more likely to murder thier children.

These are FACTS that cant be disputed unless your a women and just short of the brain cells needed to be considered normal.

Now when you say that this is all mens fault for hurting women and children.

Now lets see, you chose not to get an education and a job so you could sit on your backside while some slob goes off every day and kills himself just so you can leach off of him. You say that you took care of the children...i say so what! men can care for children just as well if not better than women...Just because you layed on your back and squirted out a kid donent make you better than anyone else even though you got your National Organization of Women and lesbiens to slant the family courts in your favor.

You think its abuse to be told that shince the man is supporting your fat backside that you need to get up and cook dinner...you think its abuse to be told to clean the house you dirtied in the first place while you were sitting watching Opra all day...

Why should men have to pay for blood suckers...this is a new milenia...

You wonder why men dont want to get married? your the reason men dont want any part of it.

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):