Wednesday, October 21, 2009

AfPak high on opium

"The Afghanistan/Pakistan border region has turned into the world's largest free-trade zone in anything and everything that is illicit - drugs of course, but also weapons, bomb-making equipment, chemical precursors, drug money, even people and migrants," 
That is from the head of UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) who is concerned about opium from Afghanistan and how it generates a whole bunch of problems for the rest of the world too.
UN findings say an opium market worth $65bn (£39bn) funds global terrorism, caters to 15 million addicts, and kills 100,000 people every year.
The UN says corruption, lawlessness and uncontrolled borders result in only 2% of Afghan opiates being seized locally.
The UN says more Russians die annually from Afghan drugs than Soviet soldiers were killed during its Afghan conflict.
Afghanistan produces 92% of the world's opium, with the equivalent of 3,500 tonnes leaving the country each year.
The US fights wars over one of three: oil, drugs, terrorism. Here in AfPak, we have two out of three.

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