• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Mission
      • Political Islam
    • Areas of Expertise
      • Economic Warfare
        • Cyber Security
      • U.S. Policy
      • Anti-Corruption
      • Foreign Election Observing
      • Supporting Free Speech
        • Legislation
      • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • Free Speech Celebration, U.S. Senate
    • Board of Directors & Advisors
    • Our Team
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
  • Our Impact
    • Endorsements
    • Additional Praise
  • Media
    • Recent Interviews
    • Events
      • Coming Events
    • Radio
    • Television
    • Rumble / Youtube
  • Publications
    • All Posts Archive
    • ACD Presentations
    • Articles
    • Books
    • Papers
    • Recommended Readings
  • Free Speech
    • Legislation & Support
    • Impact of ACD’s Work
      • FREE SPEECH Act Celebration, U.S. Senate, September 20, 2010
      • Some Congressional Testimonies
  • Economic warfare
    • The Impact of Purposeful Interference on U.S. Cyber Interests
    • Cyber/Space, EMP Insecurity- Current and Future Threats
    • The Existential EMP Threat
    • New Strategies to Secure U.S. Economy from Cyber Attacks
    • Economic Warfare Subversions July 9, 2012
    • CyberSpace Security – Papers And Articles
    • Cyber Security
    • Da’esh “lite” North America Islamist – Sources
    • The Muslim Brotherhood and Da’esh “Lite” in North America
  • Support ACD
    • Donate
    • Subscribe
    • Contact
American Center for Democracy

American Center for Democracy

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • Free Speech
  • U.S. Policy
    • U.S. Foreign Policy
  • Political Islam
    • Canada
    • Hamas
    • Iran
    • Islam
    • Muslim Brotherhood
    • Palestinian
    • United States
  • Narco-Terrorism
  • Middle East Conflicts
    • Iran
    • Israel
  • Global Conflicts
    • China
    • North Korea
    • Russia
    • Ukraine
  • Soros
You are here: Home / ACD/EWI Blog / Kofi's Other Blind Spot

Kofi's Other Blind Spot

April 22, 2005 by FrontPageMagazine.com | by Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) released a report on March 2, 2005, expressing its concern regarding “the increasingly sophisticated trade of opiates from Afghanistan.” Yet, Secretary-General Kofi Annan failed to even mention illegal drug trafficking as a global threat in his March 21st plan to improve international security and reform the U.N.

While his report identifies terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, organized crime, civil violence, poverty, and infectious diseases as major threats to international security, he ignores the illegal drug trade, which exacerbates all of the above. This omission is particularly worrisome even if it is only an oversight on the part of the Secretary. INCB reports over the years have acknowledged and warned against the detrimental and corrupting effects of heroin trafficking in Afghanistan and throughout the world. Regardless, the Secretary disregarded the dangers to human security and sustainable development posed by the drug trade in his plan.

Turning Afghanistan into a multi-billion dollar exporter of heroin was clearly not intended by the U.S. when it liberated the country from the oppressive regime of the Taliban. Yet, the reluctance to deal with Afghanistan’s ever expanding poppy fields and heroin labs caused the 800% increase in the country’s heroin production since its liberation. The latest reports released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) indicates that there is a slight decline in poppy cultivation, but that has not yet changed the availability of heroin either in Europe or in the U.S.

Recognizing the destabilizing effects of the heroin trade on U.S. efforts to establish democratic governance and a viable economy in Afghanistan, the U.S. government is finally increasing its drug eradication efforts in the region. This could prove to be too little too late.

Now that the Pentagon is reluctantly becoming engaged in the counter-narcotics effort, there is disagreement among Afghan, U.S., and U.N. officials about how best to fight this problem. President Hamid Karzai acknowledges that the drug trade poses a greater danger to Afghanistan than terrorism and calls on his countrymen to “do jihad” against drugs. At the same time, he argues that since heroin provides at least 60% of the Afghan gross domestic product, a drastic eradication program will destabilize the country. This view was reiterated when the Afghan counter-narcotics minister, Habibullah Qaderi, said last month, “I know it’s an illicit economy, but for the time being, Afghanistan is trying to recover from all the problems of these so many years.”

The growing effort of the U.S. military to curtail the flourishing heroin-based economy in Afghanistan is directed mainly towards supporting Afghan security forces and law enforcement personnel. Indeed, last month they helped the Afghans to seize 10 tons of opium and destroy seven refining laboratories. But the lead in the counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan is in the hands of the UK, which makes the decisions regarding the execution of Afghanistan’s eradication policy. The UK contributed only $3.6 million out of a total of $130 million that the G-8 has pledged initially to the overall initiative in 2003. Yet, they were responsible for the decision made then that the poppy eradication be conducted “by hand,” i.e. cutting acres upon acres of poppy fields with machetes.

Since the British have entrusted the provincial governors with the eradication process – many of whom are said to be involved in the drug trade – it is not surprising that the UK-led counter narcotics effort in Afghanistan has until recently yielded an increase rather than a decrease in heroin production. Still, the British attribute recent successes in seizing 75 tons of opiates and 80 heroin to special training that their Special Air Service provided to the Afghans.

Regardless, Afghanistan is the U.S. “model” project for nation building, with billions already spent towards achieving that goal. The U.S. is also the major contributor of funds and military personnel to assist Afghanistan’s security and drug eradication activities, and the Pentagon is now asking for $257 million more in its budget for 2005 for its part in the efforts to protect the drug eradication program. Why then, is it the UK that is in charge and not the U.S.?

Perhaps the Pentagon’s reluctance to take charge is due to the fact that it is clear that cutting down poppy fields twice a year will not eradicate the problem and will continue to generate political confrontations with the local warlords, thus further destabilizing the country. The aerial eradication that is being planed, with a budget of $152 million, is resented by the Afghans and as seen elsewhere does not solve the problem.

Indeed, there are better ways to eradicate the poppy fields. The US government has spent more than $10 million in the last decade on the development of mycoherbicides, which are naturally occurring plant-pathogenic fungi that can be used to eradicate coca bushes or poppy plants. According to Dr. David Sands, who has spent years researching mycoherbicides, “a battery of six tests to verify the safety of the mycoherbicide from the point of toxicity and probable environmental impact…would cost $40,000 for each fungal strain.” This seems like a very small investment in a safe method to eradicate the heroin problem and to work towards the development of a sustainable economy for the Afghan people.

Using this method in addition to supporting and subsidizing the establishment of alternative crops and industries in Afghanistan until they are self-sustainable would be a cost effective and safer solution for all parties involved. It would also further the US and ostensibly the UN’s agenda to build a stable and secure Afghan state, and to fight terrorism and poverty in South Asia.

Filed Under: ACD/EWI Blog, Anti-Corruption, Articles and Presentations on Economic Warfare, U.S. Policy

Primary Sidebar

Spotlight

website capture islamist incitement quote by j.woolsey obama signing Rachel's law chemical terrorism transportation terrorism nuclear threats on the rise winning the cyberwar gps concepts and misconceptions libel tourism

Search ACD

Recent Appearances

[5/1/2025] National Talk Radio with Shawn Moore

[3/11/2025] Shaun Thompson Interview

[3/10/2025] Larry Conners Interviews Rachel Ehrenfeld

[2/3/2025] The Truth About George Soros - Grey Matter Podcast

[1/22/2025] Fighting Terrorism Funding - SAM Podcast

[1/8/2025] COUNTER NARRATIVE Interview on PATRIOT.TV

[10/2/2024] The Shaun Thompson Show: Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld

[9/30/2024] Counter Narrative: Soros Power Grab: Media Takeover & Election Manipulation |

[8/28/2024] SOS Blinken warns U.S. allies that Iran may attack Israel in the next 24-48hrs

[8/9/2024] Purham & Associates Show Special Guest: Rachel Ehrenfeld

[7/26/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Andy Caldwell Show

[6/12/2024] Dr. Ehrenfeld on The Shaun Thompson Show

[5/29/2024] Interview on Bill Martinez Live

[5/24/2024] CAEF presents "Soros is No Dreyfus: The Soros Agenda to Change America & his Anti-Israel Crusade"

[5/16/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on Jayne Carol Tonight - Portland, OR

[5/9/2024] How deep do the Soros ties go?

[5/6/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld: The College Intifada-How Jew Hunting Became a Left Wing Blood Sport On Campus

[4/15/2024] Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld on The Vic Poricini Show

[4/11/2024] The Andy Caldwell Show

[4/10/2024] Always Right Radio with Bob Frantz

[4/3/2024] Kacee Allen & Rachel Ehrenfeld - The Pelle Neroth Taylor Show

[3/12/2024] Rachel Ehrenfeld | Gunther Rewind - Podcast on iHeart Radio

[2/18/2024] תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה - Podcast on Spotify

תעלומת ג'ורג' סורוס ותרומתו למאבק נגד ישראל - פוקוס על אמריקה | Podcast on Spotify

[2/7/2024] Are We in World War III and Don't Know It? - Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

[1/23/2024] The Chris Smith Show - TNTRADIO.LIVE

[1/22/2024] 'Soros Agenda' Author Warns That Global Elites Could Steal '24 Election - One America News

[1/12/2024] Stacy Washington NOW Rachel on from 24:10 – 31:46.

[12/23/2023] Propagaza – Laura-Lynn Tyler Thompson

View ALL

The Soros Agenda

g. soros

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part I

Rachel Ehrenfeld & Shawn Macomber

Soros: The Man Who Would Be Kingmaker, Part II

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part III

Soros: The Man Who Would be Kingmaker, Part IV

More about Soros...
ORDER THE SOROS AGENDA →
Buy The Soros Agenda

Tags

antisemitism Caliphate Canada capital punishment China Christians Daniel Haqiqatjou Dawah Disinformation genocide Hamas Iran ISIS Islam Islamic Party of Ontario Islamic Relief Canada Islamic Relief Worldwide Islamization Islamophobia Israel J. Millard Burr Jews jihad Justin Trudeau LGBT liberalism Muslim Brotherhood Muslims NCCM Norman Bailey Palestine Political Islam Quran Russia Salaheddin Islamic Centre Saudi Arabia Sharia Sol W. Sanders SOROS Syria Terrorism Toronto US USA women's rights

Footer

About ACD

ACD is a New York-based 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, which monitors and exposes the enemies of freedom and their modus operandi, and explores pragmatic ways to counteract their methods.

Endorsements

"The ACD/EWI ability to predict future threats is second to none"

- R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence

- - - More Endorsements - - -

Follow ACD!

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • youtube
  • linkedin

Copyright © 2025 | The American Center for Democracy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law.