Karzai wants civilian lives
spared in NATO operations
Press TV / February 7, 2010
As NATO forces prepare for a bloody confrontation with the
Taliban in southern Afghanistan, Kabul calls on the international
presence to end military raids on villages and spare the lives of
civilians.
Speaking at the annual Munich Security Conference, President
Hamid Karzai said Sunday that he was hoping to see civilian
casualties ceased completely in the war-torn country.
He went on to urge the United Nations and international
agencies to cooperate with the Afghan government instead of acting
as its rival, which he said was "undermining in reality the
buildup of the Afghan state and its institutions."
The Afghan president has been denouncing the killing of
civilians, which has fueled anti-American sentiments in
Afghanistan.
A UN report released in January has painted a grim picture of
the stepped-up military action aimed at killing militants. The
report showed that the number of civilians killed in 2009 was
higher than in any year since the 2001 US-led invasion.
Reciting the 2009 civilian death toll that surpassed 2,400
people and rose by 14%, Karzai criticized foreign forces at the
London meeting on Afghanistan in January for the rising number of
civilian deaths in NATO-led raids, saying the figures were
"unacceptably high."
The United States and its allies argue militant hideouts are
being targeted in their military operations, which include the
imprecise drone attacks that result in civilian casualties.
Ahead of NATO
operation,
400 Afghan families displaced
Press TV / February 7, 2010
Hundreds of Afghan families are fleeing their homes in the
Helmand city of Marja, after US and British forces announced plans
for a bloody end game with the Taliban in the volatile southern
province.
Taliban militants have managed to keep their hold on Maja,
which lies 30 Km (18 miles) to the west of the provincial capital
of Lashkargah for several years.
Authorities in Helmand say more than 400 families have been
uprooted for fear of the bloodbath that could emerge out of NATO
plans to launch a major offensive against the militants, a Press
TV correspondent in Kandahar reported on Sunday.
Last week, the US-led presence and Afghan security forces
unveiled plans for the operation, codenamed “Battle of Marja,”
which is to take place in several stages and aims at placing the
national security forces at the frontline of the conflict.
The battle has been billed by the forces as the bloodiest since
the start of the conflict eight years ago, when the Taliban regime
was ousted by the US-led invasion in 2001.
The operations will combine the efforts of Afghan, American and
British forces, as a “demonstration of our capability in a series
of operations,” NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told
reporters on the sidelines of a Munich security conference.
In response, the Taliban has promised to launch counter
attacks, vowing to hold on to its southern stronghold.
Planned Afghan
Assault To Send 'Strong Signal'
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
February 7, 2010
The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General
Stanley McChrystal, says a major military offensive about to start
will "send a strong signal" to Taliban insurgents that the Afghan
government is expanding its security control.
McChrystal said in Kabul today that the offensive planned for
southern Afghanistan aims to clear out insurgents so local
civilian authorities can retake control.
A big force of U.S. Marines as well as NATO and Afghan soldiers
are expected to launch the offensive -- said by commanders to be
the largest assault against Taliban-led militants since the war
began -- in Helmand Province within days.
RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan has reported that residents of
four major towns in Helmand are fleeing their homes ahead of the
offensive.
Residents of Gereshk, Marjah, Naad Ali, and Baba Jee have
already begun evacuating their homes and villages.
An RFE/RL correspondent said they are mostly heading for the
provincial capital, Lashkargah, to seek shelter.
AFP reported earlier that hundreds of people have left Marjah,
a city of 80,000.
"The government of Afghanistan will reclaim Marjah as one of
its own," said the British commander of the operation, General
Nick Carter.
NATO forces have been dropping leaflets in the region for
weeks, warning residents of the impending assault.
A Taliban spokesman told AFP the insurgents were massing
fighters around Marjah and "ready to fight."
with agency reports
Karzai considers
introducing Afghan conscription
BBC News / Sunday, 7 February 2010
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has told a conference of the
world's top defence officials in Germany that he is considering
introducing conscription.
The Afghan president said at the summit in Munich he wants to
build an army and police force of 300,000 by 2012.
His comments come as US-led forces are poised to launch a major
offensive in Helmand province against the Taliban.
The Nato commander, General Stanley McChrystal, said the
operation would "send a strong signal".
Mr Karzai told the Munich conference that a number of Afghan
community leaders had urged him to consider conscription.
"Afghanistan should be able to provide security for its people,
so we are no longer a burden on the shoulders of the international
community and the partners that are there with us today," he said.
The idea of reintroducing a military draft - which was used in
Afghanistan until 1992 - has been suggested before.
Afghan Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said last week there
was no need for conscription as the army had no lack of recruits.
'Prepare for casualties'
The Nato commander in Afghanistan, Gen McChrystal, promised a
major offensive about to begin in central Helmand would send a
"strong signal that the Afghan government is expanding its
security control".
Thousands of coalition and Afghan troops are converging for the
operation to capture the town of Marja, a Taliban stronghold.
The attack - codenamed Moshtarak, which means "together" in the
Pashtun language of southern Afghanistan - is expected to begin
any day.
UK Defence Secretary Bob Ainsworth said on Sunday the British
public should be ready for military casualties once the offensive
begins.
"We shouldn't deny or pretend to people that ... casualties are
not a very real risk on these kind of operations and people have
to be prepared for that," he said.
Planning has been under way for weeks, with Nato helicopters
dropping leaflets on the area warning residents to flee.
Provincial officials said about 35,000 residents of Marja were
taking the advice and heading to other parts of Helmand.
One Marja resident, Gul Muhammed, told AFP news agency why he
had left town.
"There are Taliban all over the place and foreign troops around
Marja," he said. "So I was scared that we might get hurt."
The forthcoming offensive will be the first major military
action since US President Barack Obama announced his surge of
30,000 extra US troops for Afghanistan in December.
Meanwhile, three Afghan policemen died on Sunday when their
vehicle hit a roadside bomb near the southern city of Kandahar.
In a separate development, Nato-led forces said they had
arrested an Afghan police commander alleged to have worked with
Taliban insurgents to distribute and plant roadside bombs.
Attaullah Wahab is also accused of corruption and of being
linked to a murder.
His activities are said to have taken place in the north of the
country at Bagram, site of the country's main US military hub, and
in the provinces of Parwan and Kapisa.
Taliban reject Karzai's
"reconciliation" offer
Press TV / February 7, 2010
Afghanistan's Taliban have rejected President Hamid Karzai's
call for reconciliation talks as pointless, emphasizing on their
goal for complete independence.
"This is not the first time that the Kabul regime and the
invading countries want to throw dust into the eyes of the public
of the world by announcing reconciliation in words and, in
practice, make preparation for war," Afghan Taliban said in a
Sunday statement.
Karzai had earlier offered reconciliation with members of the
Taliban who lay down arms, renounce violence and accept the Afghan
constitution. He has the backing of Western states for the
proposal.
The Taliban have, however, said on their Website that the
conditions set by Karzai amount to a call to surrender.
"Our first priority is to achieve these goals (complete
independence and the establishment of an Islamic system) through
talks and negotiation," added the statement, noting that Karzai's
peace offer is the consequence of the militants' spreading
influence.
They also reject Western support for such efforts as a way to
silence the anti-war protesters in the West.
Taliban governed Afghanistan from 1996 until they were
overthrown in late 2001 during Operation Enduring Freedom.
In recent years, Taliban members have gained strength, fighting
against the Western-backed Afghan government and the occupying
foreign forces.
'Occupiers main
source
of instability in Afghanistan'
Press TV / February 7, 2010
Iran's ambassador to Afghanistan has described the occupation
forces as the root cause of insecurity in the country and said
their interference in domestic affairs is intolerable.
In an interview with the Afghan weekly Eqtedar Melli
published on Saturday, Ambassador Fada Hossein Maleki strongly
criticized the numerous instances of Western intrusion in
Afghanistan's internal affairs.
Iran is really looking forward to a day when Afghanistan, as a
sovereign nation, is able to determine its own destiny, he said.
“Bright prospects are expected for Afghanistan as Afghan youths
enjoy great talent, God-given intelligence, and strong
determination to put their country on the track of progress,”
Maleki said.
He emphasized that regional problems should be solved through
comprehensive approaches, saying regional states should make
serious efforts to resolve the current crises before they become
more complicated.
Touching on the situation in the Middle East, he stated that
the countries which have entered the region using the campaigns
against illicit drugs and terrorism as pretexts are the main
source of instability in the region.
Afghanistan belongs to the Afghan people and the country's
problems can only be solved through diplomacy and not military
solutions, Maleki observed.
Afghan police
commander detained for corruption
Press TV / February 7, 2010
The US military have detained a local Afghan police commander
allegedly involved in acts of militancy, including facilitating
improvised explosive device parts.
NATO-led forces claim Atahullah Wahaab, deputy police chief of
Kapisa province, has been involved in the storage, distribution
and deployment of the explosive devises on roads in the region.
The police "commander was arrested by ANSF (Afghan National
Security Forces) and coalition forces for illegal activity and
corruption," the US military said in a Sunday statement.
A NATO statement also alleges that the senior official has been
involved in corruption and criminal activities.
"He has been clearly linked to criminal activities including a
murder during the summer of 2009," added the statement.
Local officials say they have no evidence in support of the
allegations. President Hamid Karzai has promised to root out
corruption among officials. But prosecutions are extremely rare.
NATO forces
attacked in N Afghan province
KABUL, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Anti-government militants attacked a
convoy of NATO-led troops in Baghlan province north of Afghanistan
Sunday, provincial police chief Mohammad Kabir Andarabi said.
"Soldiers from Hungary went to Andarab district today but on
the way back to their base in Baghlan's provincial capital Pul-e-
Khumri, they came under attack," Andarabi told Xinhua.
During the firefight a Taliban insurgent was killed and another
sustained injuries, Andarabi added.
Meantime, Zabir Sadiqi, who claims to speak for Hizb-e-Islami
-- an associate militant group to Taliban, accepted responsibility
and, in talks with media via cellular phone from unknown location,
said insurgents inflicted casualties on the troops by firing
rockets.
However, Andarabi rejected the claim, stressing that there were
no casualties on the NATO soldiers.
A civilian-military unit of Hungary -- the Provincial
Reconstruction Team (PRT) -- is based in Pul-e-Khumri to help
strengthen security and reconstruction process in the northern
Baghlan province.
Some 360 Hungarian soldiers within the framework of NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) have been serving
in Afghanistan to maintain security there.
2 foreign troops killed in N.
Afghanistan
KABUL, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Two service men with the NATO-led
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) died following a
small-arms fire attack in northern Afghanistan Sunday.
A press release issued by the ISAF confirmed the casualties but
failed to disclose details.
Earlier the day, local police in northern Afghanistan's Baghlan
province told Xinhua that an ISAF convey was attacked by
insurgents' light-arms fire.
The ISAF forces returned fire, killing one insurgent.
NATO chief seeks
broader ties with China, India
by Lorne Cook
Sun Feb 7, 8:18 am ET
MUNICH, Germany (AFP) – The head of NATO said Sunday its
troubles in Afghanistan showed it was vital to boost ties with
nations like China, India and Pakistan and transform the alliance
into a global security hub.
Drawing from flaws exposed in Afghanistan, where NATO is
struggling to hold off a Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgency, Anders
Fogh Rasmussen said the military alliance should become a forum
for consultation on major hot spots.
"This is a key lesson we are learning in Afghanistan today ...
we need an entirely new compact between all the actors on the
security stage," he said at a major security conference in Munich,
southern Germany.
"India has a stake in Afghan stability. China too. And both
could help further develop and rebuild Afghanistan. The same goes
for Russia. Basically, Russia shares our security concerns," he
said.
NATO and its partners have more than 110,000 troops in
Afghanistan, but they have been unable to put down the insurgency
more than eight years after a US-led coalition ousted the Taliban
from power.
Under a recent switch of strategy, almost 40,000 extra troops
are streaming into the conflict-torn country, aiming to protect
civilians and win their support, rather than hunt down fighters,
many re-supplied from Pakistan.
Following last month's conference in London, the strategy also
involves a "surge" of civilian experts, backed by redoubled
efforts from major donors, financial institutions and bodies like
the United Nations and European Union.
"We cannot meet today's security requirements effectively
without engaging much more actively and systematically with other
important players on the international scene," Rasmussen said.
"The alliance should become the hub of a network of security
partnerships and a centre for consultation on international
security issues -- even issues on which the alliance might never
take action," he went on.
"What would be the harm if countries such as China, India,
Pakistan and others were to develop closer ties with NATO? I
think, in fact, there would only be a benefit, in terms of trust,
confidence and cooperation."
Rasmussen underlined that he did not seek to replace the work
of the United Nations, and his stance was backed by German Defence
Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg.
"We don't want to enter into any competition with the United
Nations," the minister said. "We don't want to turn NATO into a
global security agency."
The alliance's top military officer, US Admiral James Stavridis
added: "NATO is not a global actor, but an actor in a global
world. There's a huge difference."
Rasmussen said he envisaged a forum in which NATO and its
partners world-wide could air views and concerns, and exchange
best practice.
"And where, if it makes sense -- if we decide that NATO should
have a role -- we might work out how to tackle global challenges
together."
NATO has 28 member nations, but its partnership involves 44
countries in Afghanistan, as well as ties with other regional
forums, such as the group of Mediterranean nations.
But Rasmussen said militaries did not train, plan or organise
together, while non-governmental groups avoided armies out of
concern it might harm their image, but that changing practices
would require a "cultural revolution".
"NATO is much more than just 28 allies," said Canadian Foreign
Minister Peter MacKay. "Partnerships are integral to NATO's
ability to meet security challenges at a distance."
Leading stories
in today’s Afghan media
UNAMA
7 February 2010 - Top UN envoy warns NATO defence ministers
against over-militarization in Afghanistan; UN SRSG says
humanitarian aid should not be distributed by military forces; UN
Security Council welcomed on Friday the results of the London
Conference on Afghanistan; and USAID to donate US$ 30 million to
farmers to improve farming system in Afghanistan.
AFGHAN TV NEWS
Ariana TV Headlines
Speaking at the Munich Security Conference, the Afghan foreign
minister said giving bribe to the Taliban would not avert the
Taliban’s indulgence in war, but added that Taliban members would
be helped to find livelihood if they turn away from war.
The UN Security Council on Friday welcomed the results of the
London conference on Afghanistan.
In their recent operations, security forces killed 16 Taliban
in Helmand.
Shamshad TV Headlines
A number of people in Kapisa staged demonstrations against the
arrest of a Kapisa Police Public Security officer by US soldiers.
The Asian Development Bank assisted Kunduz province with US$ 27
million to extend electricity from Tajikistan to Kunduz.
Tolo TV Headlines
The Afghan foreign minister said Afghanistan will not succeed
in its counter-terrorism campaign unless a general regional
counter-terrorism strategy is launched, especially by Pakistan,
adding that Afghanistan will seriously fight against the Al-Qaeda.
A number of Afghan analysts said President Karzai did not have
any achievements from his meeting with the Saudi king.
Border Police killed seven civilians in Kandahar.
UN SRSG said humanitarian aid should not be distributed by
military forces. He added that the ongoing year would be full of
challenges.
UNICEF said 1.2 million children are below the age of five, and
that 550,000 pregnant women face malnutrition and various diseases
in Afghanistan this year.
The Disaster Management Department said the displaced ought to
have a certain place for their residence.
Districts that make efforts for peace will accelerate the
reconstruction process, said the caretaker minister for Borders
and Tribal Affairs.
AFGHAN PRINT MEDIA
Afghanistan Times
At the Munich Security Conference on Sunday, President Karzai
will ask world leaders for enhanced coordination with his
administration for the stabilization of Afghanistan, said the
President’s office.
Afghan Ambassador to Canada Jawed Ludin lodged a strong protest
against a Canadian opposition leader, Michael Ignatieff, for the
latter’s remarks in which he accused the Karzai government of
“being highly corrupt.” While the Afghan government makes no claim
to being an exception to the systemic flaws that affect many poor
countries around the world, any wholesale labelling of the
government as corrupt, crooks and warlords is unjustified, Ludin
said in a strongly worded statement.
Speaking at a NATO Defence Ministers Conference in Istanbul, UN
Special Envoy for Afghanistan Kai Eide warned against the dangers
of a development where the military runs out of patience with the
civilian components of Afghan institutions and international
structures and takes on more of the civilian tasks.
Arman-e-Milli Daily
Kabul Police said it has arrested five Indian citizens who
kidnapped 40 Indians and brought them to Afghanistan to be
exploited. The hostages were kept in a house in Qala-e Fatola in
Kabul.
Daily Afghanistan
Judiciary organs said they have sentenced 15 drug traffickers
to 16 years in jail, and seized 200 kilos of heroin and 280 litres
of chemical materials linked to drug production.
Kabul Times
The UN Security Council on Friday welcomed the results of the
London Conference on Afghanistan which pledged new funds and
outlined a strategy to transfer security responsibility to Kabul
within five years.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
will donate US$30 million to farmers to improve their farming
system in eastern and southern areas of Afghanistan, said a USAID
press release.
State Media Editorials
Eslah Daily
To root out civilian casualties and to speed up reconstruction
efforts in the country, militants should accept the Afghan
government’s reconciliation plans and join in the peace process.
Hewad Daily
The recent London Conference on Afghanistan and the gathering
of NATO defence ministers in Istanbul show that Afghanistan is
still a priority for the international community. What creates
concern for the Afghan government is the way aid is delivered in
the country. Some donors want to spend their aid through regional
authorities and tribal elders which is weakening the central
government. Therefore, all international aid should be spent
through the government channels.
Private Media Editorials
Daily Afghanistan
Afghan people expect the NATO’s defence ministers to implement
their decisions, unlike decisions made during other international
conferences.
Erada Daily
Referring to President Karzai’s trip to Saudi Arabia, the
editorial says it has been 30 years that Afghan leaders are
helping foreign countries interfere in Afghanistan’s affairs
without consulting with their fellow countrymen. Karzai has to pay
the price of his inefficient administration.
Soroash-e Millat Daily
Pointing to the UNICEF’s remarks on the situation of Afghan
children and women, the editorial criticized Afghanistan’s wealthy
people for not assisting the poor in their society.
Payam-e Mujahed Weekly
The London Conference has shown that the international
community is tired of its counter-terrorism campaign as it already
wants to stop this campaign.
REGIONAL MEDIA
Nangarhar (RTA) Headlines
In a gathering in Jalalabad, religious scholars expressed their
full support for President Karzai’s reconciliation process and the
London Conference. They called on armed militants to join the
reconciliation process.
A sapling planting campaign has begun in Nangarhar. According
to the agriculture director, around 6 million saplings will be
planted.
Kandahar (Surgar Weekly) Headlines
During his visit to Kandahar, Afghan Interior Minster Hanif
Atmar said security will be restored in volatile southern
provinces.
Kandahar (RTA) Headlines
Kandahar border police interrogated six border policemen who
were involved in the killing of seven civilians.
The district governor for Shamulzai in Zabul said Afghan
National Police have detained a prominent Taliban commander,
Mullah Masoud, during a search operation in the district.
The US government will provide Afghan farmers with US$ 30
million to assist them in the south and east of the country.
Balkh (RTA Balkh) Headlines
The Pamir 303 northern regional police spokesperson Lal
Mohammad, in a press conference in Mazar-e-Sharif on Saturday,
announced the enrolment of 200 new trainees from nine northern
provinces in the Afghan National Police, adding that 3,000
eligible Afghans have joined the police force since last spring
from the north alone.
Paktya (RTA) Headlines
A suicide bomber rammed his explosives-filled car into an
international military convoy Saturday in the Manduzi district of
Khost. No casualties have been reported yet.
Pakistan Army
Recaptures NW Militant Stronghold
Pakistan's military says its troops killed some 60 militants in
the new offensive
VOA News
February 7, 2010
Pakistan's army says its forces have recaptured a key Taliban
stronghold in a region near the Afghan border.
A year ago, Pakistani forces had declared the group of villages
called Damadola free of militants following a 2008 offensive. But
officials say Taliban and al-Qaida militants recently returned to
defend the strategically-located stronghold north of Khar, the
main town in the Bajaur tribal agency.
Pakistan's military says its troops and a tribal militia,
backed by warplanes and helicopter gunships, killed some 60
militants in the new offensive. The military's account has not
been independently verified because aid workers and journalists
are largely barred from the region.
Damadola has been the site of several U.S. drone missile
strikes in recent years targeting al-Qaida leaders.
Livestock
Development: The
peaceful Afghan rural livelihood
By Sayed Barez, UNAMA
7 February 2010 - Being primarily driven by an agro-economy,
Afghanistan has a lot of livestock that are the main and, in some
places, the only income-generation machine for thousands of
families whose cattle are their livelihood.
The main challenges for domestic dairy producers in Afghanistan
have been a weak market and unprofessional animal health care.
They normally take care of their animals in traditional ways that
increase the chances of high animal mortality rate and the
outbreak of infectious diseases.
The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO)
started the German government-funded ‘Integrated Diary Development
Scheme in Afghanistan’ in Dehdadi district of Balkh province in
2002. This program hopes to improve food security by raising the
productive capacity of the national dairy sector through the
development of integrated model dairy schemes in the country.
Dehdadi district in the south-western outskirts of
Mazar-i-Sharif is famous for its dairy products, with farmers
keeping a lot of cows and producing thousands of liters of milk
each day to supply the markets in Mazar-i-Sharif, the population
center of Balkh province.
After the opening of the project, FAO started its ‘Improved
Cattle Management Training’ project where 720 women were trained
on the best methods of cattle rearing. FAO’s technical support and
assistance have resulted in doubling milk productivity. The daily
milk production per house has since risen from three liters to 6.5
liters per day.
FAO’s initiative of forming the Balkh Livestock Development
Union (BLDU) was followed by an excellent contribution in 2007
from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
which built a dairy-products pasteurizing factory in the center of
this district. The factory cost US$ 650,000 and the USAID later
handed it over to BLDU.
“It is Dehdadi’s milk that sufficiently supplies the market in
Mazar. It is clean, healthy, well-packed and stays longer,” said
Abdul Rasool, a customer who bought packed milk from one of
Balkh’s 27 dairy shops in Mazar.
Now, everyday, over 2,000 liters of milk are collected by milk
collection centers which bring the milk for pasteurizing to the
factory where the best dairy products – such as packed milk,
yogurt, cheese and butter – are produced.
Helmand Heroin Menace Grows
Poppy producing area diversifies into heroin as crop price
falls.
Institute for War & Peace Reporting
By Aziz Ahmad Tassal in Helmand (ARR No. 351, 04-Feb-10)
Helmand, the Afghan province that alone produces more than half
of the world’s opium poppy, now presents another menace. As the
price of the raw opium from the poppy plant has declined
precipitously, local businessmen have branched out by refining it
into heroin.
Marjah, a district close to the provincial capital Lashkar Gah,
is both a Taleban stronghold and the centre of heroin production.
The connection is not accidental: the drug trade thrives in areas
under insurgency, which protects the trade in return for tribute
and taxes.
As the United States gears up for a renewed military effort in
Afghanistan, Marjah has become the focus of a major operation to
clear out the Taleban and hold the area. It will be a difficult
battle: both fighters and those involved in the narcotics industry
have much to lose.
“If the Americans come to Marjah, it will be very difficult for
us to earn enough to feed our families,” said a 28-year-old worker
in a heroin laboratory, who did not want his name to be used.
“They have already moved many of the labs up into the mountains,
and it is a very long way to go. We are afraid that someone will
report us to the Americans. The Taleban say they will fight them,
but we do not know what will happen.”
It is difficult to estimate the number of heroin laboratories
in Helmand, but in 2007, when the British, American and Afghan
forces retook the northern district of Musa Qala from the Taleban,
more than 300 were discovered and destroyed, according to
government sources.
Drug workers say that Marjah is now much bigger in the heroin
trade than Musa Qala ever was. “There are hundreds of labs in
Marjah,” said one worker from a heroin processing plant, who did
not want to be named.
Heroin laboratories are not technically sophisticated,
requiring little more than a heat source and some enamel
containers for boiling the raw materials. It demands a steady
supply of specific chemicals, mainly acetic anhydride, an acid
which is not available in Afghanistan and has to be smuggled.
“It is smuggled in just like heroin is smuggled out,” said one
laboratory worker. “Mostly it comes from Iran.”
Those involved in the trade say that Nimroz province, on the
border with Iran, is a popular conduit for the substance. Taleban
accompany the shipments, say the smugglers, and are well paid for
their trouble. Each factory pays between 50,000 and 100,000
Pakistani rupees (590 to 1,180 US dollars) per month to the
Taleban, say those involved in the trade.
Pakistan is also a rich source of the acid, says Sher Khan, a
laboratory worker from Jalalabad.
“It comes in through Jalalabad,” he said. “If we hit a
checkpoint, we say it is common acid. The police don’t know the
difference.”
Once processed, the heroin leaves Afghanistan through a
well-developed network, say smugglers.
“Most of the heroin goes out through Baramchi and Nimar to
Iran,” Sher Khan said. “From there it is taken to Turkey. The
heroin routes are very special. No one can smuggle heroin without
the Taleban’s permission; if they try, the Taleban will confiscate
it. The Taleban get the heroin out through familiar passages,
because mines have been planted along other routes.”
For those who work in the heroin laboratories, the money is
good.
“They pay me 800 Pakistani rupees (10 dollars) per day,” said
one worker, who did not want to be named. “Why would I work
anywhere else? I know that I am running a risk – I could be
bombed, or attacked, but I have no choice. When the foreigners
come to the surrounding villages, we run away and hide. This is
the only way we can save ourselves. Now that I am experienced, the
owner of the lab will not let me leave. It is very difficult to
find good people.”
His friend, who gave his name as Sobhan, was also satisfied
with his job.
“The good thing is that we work at night,” he said. “During the
day I work on a farm, but I am happy to come here at night. They
pay me in cash. And the foreigners cannot find us. We have made
very good hideouts. And if the foreigners do come, we will fight
them. The Taleban have told us to shoot anyone who comes here
during the night when we are working.”
But one young man complained of the difficulties of processing
heroin.
“It is harmful,” he insisted. “A lot of people get sick. The
weather is hot, and we work close to the fire. I am used to it
now, but it was very hard at the beginning. There is no more
difficult work than this.”
The owner of a laboratory in Marjah acknowledged that it is
difficult to find good help in the heroin trade.
“We openly compete with each other for skilled labour,” he
said. “Anyone can do the work, but professionals produce a better
product.”
The majority of Marjah residents are involved in the drug trade
in one way or another, he added, but still it paid to be careful.
“We have only a few professionals, but not many labourers,”
said the owner. “If a smuggler needs a large quantity of heroin he
will bring us the labourers. We do not hire people from the street
because we do not trust them. They might inform on us to the
government.”
He said that the best workers came from Jalalabad – a former
centre of opium which has now been declared poppy-free.
To the residents of Marjah, the heroin trade is just business
as usual.
“The people here are happy about the heroin labs,” said one
man. “The price of opium has declined, and if the price goes down,
people’s economic condition deteriorates.”
The price of opium has fallen precipitously, due mostly to
overproduction, experts say. Raw opium could fetch as much as 140
dollars per kilogramme in 2007; in 2009, the same quantity went
for less than 40 dollars.
The Taleban are not the only ones getting a cut of the action,
insisted another resident.
“The government also cooperates with the smugglers,” he said.
“The smugglers pay them in order to let the heroin through. The
Taleban take money just like the government, but they also let the
smugglers rent their vehicles to transport the drugs.”
An official in Helmand’s department of counter-narcotics, who
spoke on condition of anonymity, denied that the government was
involved. He also maintained that the heroin trade was not as
large as some have made out.
“We discovered and destroyed many factories this year,” he
said. “The business is not as good as people say.”
Aziz Ahmad Tassal is an IWPR reporter in Helmand.
