Thanks for the Yak/Gear/Smack Nato

[Harry]

So its all the fault of NATO?? This wasn't happening long before??

These farmers know no other way of making money. It takes a long time to re-educate people and find new ways of allowing them to make a living for themselves.

[Harry]

Catch yourself on. Prove to me the Taliban stopped the Opium trade. Prove to me that the Taliban tried introducing new crops.

Those Taliban must be right and decent chaps and it was very good of them to stop producing the thing that rolled the cash in for them.

I'm not saying in anyway that NATO can't do more or shouldn't be doing more to stop this vile production but to heap the blame solely on NATO is ridiculous. If these peace loving nations around the globe who like the protection NATO offers but don't like to contribute, pulled their bloody fingers out, alot more could be done.

Those with proper soldiers in Afghanistan are embroiled in a massive battle with the Taliban and so it is totally understandable that the Opium trade is taking a back seat. If others stepped up to the plate and pitched in then more could be done. So in a sense i have to agree that the internal politics and the lack of conviction within some so called members of NATO are allowing this to happen.

[Harry]

So it looks to me like the Taliban had been creaming it in for years. As a matter of coincidence they banned it around a year or so before the events of 9/11. No doubt it looks like according to those reports that it was having an effect.

I am very sceptical of this and it by no means proves to me that NATO is totally responsible for the opium production in the region. If it had of been banned for 5+ years and the world witnessed the results then i would be more believing of how NATO intervention brought back opium production.

It was always being produced. No doubt the Taliban ban on production reduced it but how long would it of lasted?? We will never know. I doubt it would of lasted because it goes back to how locals can earn a living. The article clearly states that farmers were struggling to feed their family because of the ban, the crops etc weren't enough to live on.

Until we re-educate and help these people to learn different farming or do something to raise their standard of living then Opium will always be produced. Its too easy to blame NATO. By doing that you can ignore all the other problems that contribute to opium production. These people don't produce opium because they are drug dealers, they are doing it cos its the only way they know to make an honest living. Until that is tackled, opium will always be harvested.

Afghanistan was a safe haven for terrorism. The people never had any say on the running of their country. When the country had its first elections the turnout was massive. A clear indication that the people desired democracy. Your right the world isn't a safer place, no one is pretending it is. It will get worse before it gets better. Islamic terrorism will have nowhere to hide.

At present the Taliban have changed tactic. This is down to the success of Troops on the ground. The Taliban are a bunch of dedicated fighters. They stood toe to toe with British and Coalition forces and fought like an army. Reluctantly they have come to realise they are no match for the forces of the coalition and are now resorting to suicide tactics.

We are taking alot of hits now because of it. We now have to quickly adapt our own tactics to counter such attacks but it is extremely difficult to combat a hidden enemy and the innocent public are now more at risk than ever. We mustn't give up on the people of this country, we mustn't cut and run. NATO countries need to commit more troops and give these people the lives they deserve

[Shades40]

Ack sure the president of Afghanistans brother is the king pin of the heroin trade over there, the question you have to ask is why the brits and the merkins want thier countries flooded with heroin.