A Piece of Our Action

The United States brings the stellar successes of its South American War on Drugs to Afghanistan, with similar results:

KABUL, Afghanistan, Nov. 18 - Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, the source of most of the opium and heroin on Europe's streets, was up sharply this year, reaching the highest levels in the country's history and in the world, the United Nations announced on Thursday.

"In Afghanistan, drugs are now a clear and present danger," said Antonio Maria Costa, director of the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, on the release of the 2004 Afghanistan opium survey. "The fear that Afghanistan might degenerate into a narco-state is becoming a reality."

So glad we're taking seriously the War on Terrorism:

If the drug problem persists, "the political and military successes of the last three years will be lost," Mr. Costa said in a preface to the report. There are indications that Al Qaeda and the Taliban are profiting from the Afghan trade, the report said.

At this rate, soon the Afghanis will figure out that they can purchase a couple dozen Congressman and the executive branch for a few paltry millions and start running the joint.