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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Nato to target Afghan drugs trade | Nato to target Afghan drugs trade |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Nato has agreed its troops will be allowed to attack opium factories for the first time in Afghanistan. | Nato has agreed its troops will be allowed to attack opium factories for the first time in Afghanistan. |
| Alliance spokesman James Appathurai said troops will act with Afghan forces "against facilities and facilitators" using drugs to finance the Taleban. | Alliance spokesman James Appathurai said troops will act with Afghan forces "against facilities and facilitators" using drugs to finance the Taleban. |
| Agreement was reached during a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Budapest. | Agreement was reached during a meeting of Nato defence ministers in Budapest. |
| All counter-narcotics operations have until now been carried out by Afghan forces. The US wants more aggressive tactics against the opium trade. | All counter-narcotics operations have until now been carried out by Afghan forces. The US wants more aggressive tactics against the opium trade. |
| Nato and US-led forces have until now concentrated on eradicating poppy crops, rather than attacking opium factories and distribution networks. | Nato and US-led forces have until now concentrated on eradicating poppy crops, rather than attacking opium factories and distribution networks. |
| See a map of opium production | See a map of opium production |
| Several Nato members fear that any crackdown would prompt a violent backlash against allied troops. | Several Nato members fear that any crackdown would prompt a violent backlash against allied troops. |
| Mr Appathurai said participation would be "subject to the authorisation of respective nations". | Mr Appathurai said participation would be "subject to the authorisation of respective nations". |
| He gave few further details. Nato defence ministers will review the mission in February. | He gave few further details. Nato defence ministers will review the mission in February. |
| Afghanistan supplies more than 90% of the world's illicit opium, the main ingredient of heroin. | Afghanistan supplies more than 90% of the world's illicit opium, the main ingredient of heroin. |
| 'Scourge' | 'Scourge' |
| Nato's top operations commander, Gen John Craddock, attended the Budapest talks to push for more concerted action by alliance members. | Nato's top operations commander, Gen John Craddock, attended the Budapest talks to push for more concerted action by alliance members. |
| Troops will need government go-ahead to act against drug dealers | Troops will need government go-ahead to act against drug dealers |
| He told them the Afghan opium trade is bankrolling the Taleban insurgency to the tune of $100m (£57m) a year. | He told them the Afghan opium trade is bankrolling the Taleban insurgency to the tune of $100m (£57m) a year. |
| "You cannot have a safe and secure environment with a scourge of narcotics rampant," he told Reuters news agency on Thursday. | "You cannot have a safe and secure environment with a scourge of narcotics rampant," he told Reuters news agency on Thursday. |
| His remarks come amid anxiety that opium production far exceeds global demand and that international drug cartels must have stockpiled huge quantities. | His remarks come amid anxiety that opium production far exceeds global demand and that international drug cartels must have stockpiled huge quantities. |
| The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, is urging the international community to "find the missing opium". | The head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, is urging the international community to "find the missing opium". |
| "These stockpiles are a time bomb for public health and global security," he has said. | "These stockpiles are a time bomb for public health and global security," he has said. |
| It is estimated that bumper poppy harvests have yielded twice as much opium as needed to satisfy every known heroin user on the planet. For the past three years, production has been running at almost twice the level of global demand. The numbers just don't add up Mark Easton BBC home editor class="" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2008/10/map_of_the_week_the_mystery_of.html">Read Mark's thoughts in full | |
| British law enforcement officers working undercover in southern Afghanistan are reporting seizures of "enormous quantities of precursors" - the chemicals required to process opium - suggesting vast amounts of heroin may be hidden in the lawless region. | British law enforcement officers working undercover in southern Afghanistan are reporting seizures of "enormous quantities of precursors" - the chemicals required to process opium - suggesting vast amounts of heroin may be hidden in the lawless region. |
| The UN said in August that poppy production in Afghanistan was down this year after a record-breaking harvest in 2007. | The UN said in August that poppy production in Afghanistan was down this year after a record-breaking harvest in 2007. |
| But the southern region of Helmand, a Taleban stronghold, accounts for nearly 66% of all Afghan opium, from which heroin is obtained. | But the southern region of Helmand, a Taleban stronghold, accounts for nearly 66% of all Afghan opium, from which heroin is obtained. |
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