UN says 'bottom is starting to fall out' of Afghanistan's huge opium marketSeptember 2nd, 2009 UN reports sharp fall in Afghan opium productionKABUL — Afghanistan's opium production fell 10 percent last year and prices are at their lowest in a decade, meaning "the bottom is starting to fall out" of the world's largest opium market, the U.N. said Wednesday.
US Marines assault Taliban-held town in southern AfghanistanAugust 12th, 2009 US Marines assault Taliban town in AfghanistanDAHANEH, Afghanistan — U.S. Marines have mounted a helicopter assault to seize the Taliban-held town of Dahaneh in southern Afghanistan and are fighting gain control of the area ahead of next week's presidential elections.
US military increases attacks on Afghan drug syndicate as new US-NATO policy takes holdJuly 26th, 2009 US military increases attacks on Afghan drugsKABUL — U.S. Marines and Afghan forces have found and destroyed hundreds of tons of poppy seeds, opium and heroin in southern Afghanistan this month in raids that a top American official said show the new U.S.
AP sources: US mulls payoffs to wean Afghan farmers off poppy cropJuly 22nd, 2009 AP sources: US debating payoffs to poppy growersWASHINGTON — The Obama administration is considering whether to pay off Afghan farmers to stop them from growing heroin poppies on contract for the Taliban, senior officials said Tuesday. Paying farmers not to plant poppy would essentially supplant U.S.
2 US Marines killed in southern Afghanistan; transport helicopter crashesJuly 14th, 2009 2 US Marines killed in southern AfghanistanKABUL — Two U.S. Marines were killed in a "hostile incident" in southern Afghanistan, where a white transport helicopter also crashed, officials said Tuesday.
US military says 2 Marines killed in southern AfghanistanJuly 14th, 2009 US: 2 Marines killed in southern AfghanistanKABUL — A U.S. military spokeswoman says two Marines have been killed in southern Afghanistan.
US moving away from drug eradication effort in Afghanistan to gain favor with farmersJuly 10th, 2009 US moving away from Afghan drug eradicationWASHINGTON — The 4,000 U.S. Marines now pushing deep into Taliban-controlled tracts as part of an expanded war in southern Afghanistan are setting up fire bases amid some of the most productive poppy fields in the world's opium-producing capital.
US Marines push deeper into volatile southern Afghanistan but meeting little resistanceJuly 3rd, 2009 US Marines taking over towns in AfghanistanNAWA, Afghanistan — U.S. forces have encountered little resistance in the initial phase of a massive operation by some 4,000 Marines in Taliban-controlled areas of southern Afghanistan, but that's a common tactic by insurgents.
Afghan minister calls drug strategy 'perfect' despite US pledge to change course on policyJune 28th, 2009 Afghan minister says drug strategy is 'perfect'KABUL — Afghanistan's counternarcotics minister said Sunday that his country's drug policy is "perfect," a day after the United States changed course and announced it would no longer support efforts to eradicate opium poppy plants. Gen. Khodaidad, who like many Afghans goes by one name, said that Afghanistan has achieved "a lot of success" with its anti-drug strategy — which relies heavily on manual eradication of poppy fields, monetary incentives and public relations campaigns to persuade farmers not to plant poppies.
Holbrooke to AP: US shifts money from Afghan drug eradication to interdiction, alternate cropsJune 27th, 2009 Holbrooke: US changing Afghan drug policyTRIESTE, Italy — The U.S. has announced a new drug policy for opium-rich Afghanistan, saying it was phasing out funding for eradication efforts and using the money for drug interdiction and alternate crop programs instead.
US set to target Afghan poppy trade to wipe out Taliban's main financial sourceApril 29th, 2009 ZANGABAD - The United States, is planning to wipe out the multi-million dollar opium crop business in Afghanistan, which serves as the Taliban's main financial source. According to a New York Times report, the Obama Administration is planning to send 20,000 Marines and soldiers into Helmand, Kandahar and Zabul region of Afghanistan to cut off Taliban's main source of money.
Roadside bomb kills 2 guards from new Afghan community defense force; authorities burn drugsApril 26th, 2009 Bomb kills 2 guards from Afghan community forceKABUL — A roadside bombing in Afghanistan killed two members of a new U.S.-funded civil defense force Sunday, while authorities destroyed 6.5 tons (6 metric tons) of drugs and chemicals seized in the battle against the rampant narcotics trade. The two guards from the Afghan Public Protection Force were the first members of the new program to die in the line of duty, said Shahidullah Shahid, the spokesman for Wardak province's governor.
Five killed, 17 wounded in Kandahar suicide bomb attackApril 9th, 2009 KANDAHAR - At least five people were killed and 17 wounded when a suicide bomber attacked a police drug eradication unit in southern Afghanistan on Thursday. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the incident.
Drug trade down in Afghanistan; up in Venezuela, MyanmarFebruary 28th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Afghanistan is making inroads in stemming an opium drug trade that has fuelled a growing insurgency in the war-torn country, according to an annual report on the global drug trade by the US State Department Friday. But the US singled out Myanmar, as well as Latin American powers Venezuela and Bolivia for having 'failed demonstrably' to combat drug trafficking in their own countries.
Afghan opium cultivation to decrease this yearFebruary 1st, 2009 KABUL - Following nearly 20 percent reduction in poppy cultivation in 2008, a joint Afghan and UN survey predicted a further decrease in cultivation this year, but said the illegal crop was still mostly grown in the volatile southern region. 'I am pleased to announce that during 2009 a further decrease in poppy cultivation is expected,' General Khoaidad, Afghan minister of counter narcotics, told reporters in a press conference after the release of the report in Kabul Sunday.
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