Monthly Archives: February 2012

VIENNA (Reuters) - Afghanistan cannot be stable while its economy depends so heavily on the drugs trade, and its allies must step up the fight to combat the industry, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Thursday. Opening a major international conference on ways to combat narcotics production in Afghanistan and smuggling through neighboring states, Ban said the problem undermined efforts to help Afghanistan emerge as a normally functioning economy. "We cannot speak of sustainable development when opium production is the only viable economic activity in the country," he told delegates of the so-called Paris Pact Ministerial Conference, which first met in 2003. "We cannot expect stability when 15 percent of Afghanistan's gross domestic product comes from the drugs trade." The Vienna conference, with participants from more than 50 countries and international organizations including the foreign ministers of Russia and France, was due to adopt a new declaration at the end of a one-day session. With foreign combat forces, and much of their cash and air power, expected to be gone from the country by the end of 2014, the Afghan government will need more help fighting poppy cultivation, which rose over the last year, experts say. "Despite continued efforts … Continue reading →

Great Decisions last week dealt with Mexico. There was a good discussion led by Professors Heather Brady and Tim Gaster centering on drugs and drug cartels. My view — but not mine alone — is that these problems are not really Mexican problems, but reflect what is going on here. That is, American criminals carter to American vices, and Mexican gangsters want a part of the action. Mexico, Columbia, California, all are following a course we saw in our country during Prohibition, in that when the police are asked to enforce unpopular policies, criminals get rich, and the police and politicians become corrupted or ineffective. There are few who doubt that our society has a problem with drugs. People like them, whether it is coffee or alcohol or substances which only the foolish would use voluntarily. The world is full of fools. It is difficult to save a fool from folly, especially when the folly is both fun and a means of defying authority. Our experiment of 1919-1933, prohibiting the sale and consumption of alcohol, produced some good results, but more negative ones. So many citizens refused to obey the law, even mocked the government for its clumsy efforts to … Continue reading →

VIENNA (AP) — The U.N. secretary general on Thursday urged the international community to step up efforts to eradicate drugs in Afghanistan, noting that opium production there has grown by 61 percent in the past year and adding that "time is not on our side." In his opening statement to a meeting of top global representatives, Ban Ki-moon also warned that the problem extends beyond those who abuse drugs and is threatening Afghanistan itself. "Drug trafficking and transnational organized crime undermine the health of fragile states, (and) weaken the rule of law," he told delegates. "Above all, the Afghan government must prioritize the issue of narcotics." Afghanistan's minister for counter-narcotics, however, suggested that drugs can only be eradicated if security in his country is improved. Named for the agreement that created it nine years ago, the Paris Pact meeting is meant to review steps taken to reduce production and trafficking of opiates from Afghanistan. It will look at ways to block financial flows from the illicit drug trade, choke the flow of chemicals used to make heroin and strengthen local initiatives to help combat drug abuse by Afghans. But the meeting has no enforcing powers, and international attempts to reduce … Continue reading →