Reply #1: Khat has been used by natives of egypt for many millenia

[juno jones]

without any horrible side effects(like coco leaves to the peruvians anyone?). As far as I know, there are no dangerous synthetic/ concentrated chemical deriviates (like cocaine) associated with it. According to people I've known who've tried it, it's high is marijuana-like but stimulant instead of relaxing. It's also been used medicinally for about as long.

This is just another good old american we're-up-in-arms because eomeone would put something pleasurable into their bodies crap. If marijuana were legal, I bet people wouldn't be as enthusiastic about finding substitutes that may or may not be more dangerous. And khat isn't. In fact you have to have your own plant because it doesn't keep for any time after harvesting. Not a lot of market in stockpiling khat for distribution. Do some research people. Most of this prosecution falls upon people of egyptian culture who use this drug like many of us use coffee...or pot.

As for the troops, perhaps they have found khat in iraq, it is supposedly common in the middle east. Bet there's a lot of hashish as well. I'd be more worried about the herion tho. Plenty more of that and it's actually addictive (unlike khat) to boot.