| British military sanctions Afghan poppy cultivation |
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| Tuesday, 01 May 2007 | ||||||
Declan Walsh in Kabul Guardian Unlimited Angry Afghan officials have reprimanded British diplomats over a campaign by UK troops in Helmand telling farmers that growing poppy was understandable and acceptable. "Respected people of Helmand. The soldiers of ISAF and the Afghan national army do not destroy poppy fields," it said. "They know that many people of Afghanistan have no choice but to grow poppy. ISAF and the Afghan national army do not want to stop people from earning their livelihoods." The message was drafted by British officers and carried on two local stations in Afghanistan's largest province. It infuriated senior Afghan officials - including the president, Hamid Karzai - who demanded an explanation. The Afghan government has been under intense western pressure to rein in the burgeoning drugs trade. Opium cultivation soared 59% last year, earning local traffickers £1.2bn. The spike was concentrated in Helmand. "This was an error by ISAF," said Zalmay Afzali, a spokesman for the counter-narcotics ministry. "We have asked ISAF to avoid such problems in the future because it can create a hell of a problem." After a series of stormy meetings, Nato announced this week that it was dropping the ads. "We've recognised this was a mistake and we addressed it as soon as possible," said spokesman Nicholas Lunt. British officials issued an official apology to their Afghan counterparts. The incident highlights a schism within western policy in Afghanistan between and diplomats and the military. Since 2001 western embassies have channeled hundreds of millions of pounds into hunting for drugs traffickers, encouraging farmers to switch to licit crops and funding eradication efforts. But Nato refuses to get involved in eradication, arguing that the sight of western soldiers slashing through poppy fields could drive hundreds of farmers into the arms of the Taliban. Western soldiers say their main job is to provide security so the Afghan government can eliminate the poppy trade. The argument is particularly sharp in Helmand, where combat takes place amid some of the world's largest poppy plantations. To win support from sceptical farmers, British officers are at pains to distance themselves from poppy eradication efforts. Recently in Sangin they discussed paying a farmer the market rate for his field of poppy where they hoped to build a new military base. "It's all about the civilians. They have to understand that we are here to kill the Taliban, not to cut down their poppy," said Lieutenant Charlie Mayo, a British military spokesman. But he admitted the wording of the recent radio message was "ambiguous and open to misinterpretation" and said that after complaints from the local governor it was removed and an apology issued. But drugs and the insurgency are closely intertwined - in Helmand the Taliban pushes farmers to grow poppy and takes a percentage profit from the trade. Anti-narcotics officials argue the two problems must be tackled together. "It's ridiculous. The British embassy is sponsoring a 'don't grow poppy campaign' while the military pays for one that tells people they should," said a western official in Kabul. "Insecurity and poppy are the same issue - one creates the conditions for the other. This won't be over until the poppy is gone." http://www.guardian.co.uk/afghanistan/story/0,,2067007,00.html
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