Nato criticised for Afghan advert (opium)

[Eugene]

Source: BBC

Last Updated: Tuesday, 24 April 2007, 17:32 GMT 18:32 UK

Nato criticised for Afghan advert

By Alastair Leithead
BBC News, Kabul

Nato forces in Afghanistan have been criticised for paid adverts
on a radio station implying it is acceptable for farmers to grow
opium poppies.

-snip-

Criticism over the adverts came from both the UN and the Afghan
government.

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The controversial announcement, paid for by Nato forces,
appeared on a local radio station in Helmand province.

It told farmers growing opium poppies that their fields would not
be destroyed by Nato or the Afghan National Army.

It appeared to imply that it was alright to grow the illegal crop.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6589113.stm

[armodem08]

1. I think they're considering buying it all to make legal opiate painkillers.

And therefore short-circuit the funding that the Taliban and others get from trafficking poppies.

[Eugene]

2. NATO pulls disputed Afghan opium ad

Source: Associated Press

NATO pulls disputed Afghan opium ad

By FISNIK ABRASHI, Associated Press Writer
Wed Apr 25, 4:08 AM ET

KABUL, Afghanistan - NATO said Wednesday that it has withdrawn a
radio message telling Afghan farmers that its troops will not destroy
their opium fields, following complaints that the alliance appeared
to condone the illicit crop.

The advertisement was paid for by the NATO-led International Security
Assistance Force and aired on radio stations in Helmand province, the
largest opium-producing area in the world and the focus of NATO's
biggest ever anti-Taliban offensive.

"This was an error by ISAF," said Zalmay Afzali, a spokesman for
Afghanistan's Ministry for Counter Narcotics. "We request from ISAF to
avoid these kind of errors in the future because it can create a hell of
a problem for the counter-narcotics strategy of Afghanistan."

ISAF spokeswoman Lt. Col. Angela Billings said that the "poorly worded
address" was taken off air on Tuesday.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070425/ap_on_re_as/afghan_drugs_2