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7.6 Billion Reasons Why The US 'War On Drugs' In Afghanistan Failed

Tyler Durden's picture




 

The US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan is "disappointed," according the statement department latter below, responding to the Special Investigator General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) findings over poppy cultivation in the troubled nation. Simply put, despite the United States spending approximately $7.6 billion on counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan (as of June 30, 2014), opium poppy cultivation levels in Afghanistan hit an all-time high in 2013 (with a 50% rise last year alone). Of course, like any good government agency, deny and blame someone else, as the DOD went on to state that "the failure to reduce poppy cultivation and increase eradication is due to the lack of Afghan government support for the effort."

Poppy Cultivation hits an all-time high - despite counternarcotics spend by the US government of $7.6bn!!

From SIGAR,

Dear Secretary Kerry, Secretary Hagel, Attorney General Holder, and Administrator Shah:

I am writing to provide the results of SIGAR’s analysis of recent trends in opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. As you know, the narcotics trade poisons the Afghan financial sector and undermines the Afghan state’s legitimacy by stoking corruption, sustaining criminal networks, and providing significant financial support to the Taliban and other insurgent groups. Despite spending over $7 billion to combat opium poppy cultivation and to develop the Afghan government’s counternarcotics capacity, opium poppy cultivation levels in Afghanistan hit an all-time high in 2013.

 

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Afghan farmers grew an unprecedented 209,000 hectares of opium poppy in 2013, surpassing the previous peak of 193,000 hectares in 2007. With deteriorating security in many parts of rural Afghanistan and low levels of eradication of poppy fields, further increases in cultivation are likely in 2014.

 

As of June 30, 2014, the United States has spent approximately $7.6 billion on counternarcotics efforts in Afghanistan. Multiple sources of funding support these efforts, including the Department of Defense (DOD) Afghan Security Forces Fund, the State Department's (State) International Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement fund, the DOD Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities fund, financial support from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Economic Support Fund. Counternarcotics efforts include the development of Afghan government counternarcotics capacity, operational support to Afghan counternarcotics forces; encouragement of alternative livelihoods for Afghan farmers; financial incentives to Afghan authorities to enforce counternarcotics laws; and, in limited instances, counternarcotics operations conducted by U.S. authorities in coordination with their Afghan counterparts.

 

Despite the significant financial expenditure, opium poppy cultivation has far exceeded previous records. Affordable deep-well technology has turned 200,000 hectares of desert in southwestern Afghanistan into arable land over the past decade. Due to relatively high opium prices and the rise of an inexpensive, skilled, and mobile labor force, much of this newly-arable land is dedicated to opium cultivation. Poppy-growing provinces that were once declared 'poppy free' have seen a resurgence in cultivation. Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, considered a model for successful counterinsurgency and counternarcotics efforts and deemed ‘poppy free’ by the UNODC in 2008, saw a fourfold increase in opium poppy cultivation between 2012 and 2013. The UNODC estimates that the value of the opium and its derivative products produced in Afghanistan was nearly $3 billion in 2013, up from $2 billion in 2012. This represents an increase of 50 percent in a single year.

Who is to blame?

For its part, DOD acknowledged the significance of increased opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, and that “poppy production is on the increase and is a significant threat to U.S. and international efforts in Afghanistan.” Like the Embassy Kabul response, DOD highlighted its efforts and those of other U.S. government agencies to build a “reliable Afghan counterdrug partner and enduring Afghan [counternarcotics] capacity.” However, DOD went on to state that “the failure to reduce poppy cultivation and increase eradication is due to the lack of Afghan government support for the effort."

The State Department is disappointed:

*  *  *
Once again, government efficiency exposed.

 

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Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:36 | 5365761 LetThemEatRand
LetThemEatRand's picture

What is simultaneously most amusing and most depressing about this is that 95% of Americans don't realize that poppy cultivation has increased to fund CIA and other black ops projects.   And gee, I wonder where that $7.6 Billion spent on "stopping" the production really went.   It redefines the expression "they got you coming and going."

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:41 | 5365777 seek
seek's picture

Yeah, I think we all know there's no fucking way the US dropped $7.6B on counternarcotics and has less than nothing to show for it. More likely the spooks dropped $50M in counternarcotics public relations to make it look like they were spending, and the remaining 7.55B went to god knows who and what. Probably a few personal fortunes and a few private ebola labs given historical precedents, along with untracable weapons for ISIS on top of the ones they borrowed in Libya.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:52 | 5365808 disabledvet
disabledvet's picture

"I've got a permit for that.  Yes...for the whole twenty ton shipment."

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:54 | 5365812 TahoeBilly2012
TahoeBilly2012's picture

The Fed Bank needed to cap H prices in order for inflation not to show up.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:14 | 5366054 SafelyGraze
SafelyGraze's picture

we are very proud of our round-up ready line of poppy products

safe

secure

disease-resistant

patented

hugs,
the monsantoneers 

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:27 | 5366095 mickeyman
mickeyman's picture

I love the smell of burning opium in the morning . . . it smells like victory!

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 02:24 | 5366490 zhandax
zhandax's picture

"7.55B went to god knows who and what"

Marketing / Entertainment.  Gotta keep those customers happy.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 00:12 | 5366338 Bumbu Sauce
Bumbu Sauce's picture

New and improved with THE TERMINATOR GENE.

Right nimrod?  smh

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:09 | 5365852 ArkansasAngie
ArkansasAngie's picture

What happened to napalm?

 

Honestly ... our government sucks!

 

ANd they can't legalize pot here.

 

Piss on them all

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 01:26 | 5366445 Otrader
Otrader's picture

The corruption runs sooooo deep that we'll never know where the money goes 'on behalf of the US taxpayers'.  All you have to do is throw the phrase 'National Security' and you can't question or argue anything anymore.  

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 01:29 | 5366447 A Nanny Moose
A Nanny Moose's picture

The "war" on drugs is failing precisely because the result of the initiation of force is always the exact opposite of the state goals for the initiation of force.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:55 | 5365781 James_Cole
James_Cole's picture

See if you can spot the trend since 2001 (start of US&A afghan double freedom extra liberty invasion)

https://publicintelligence.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/afghan-opium-p...

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b8/Reagan_sitting_with_p...

lol, didn't know they did home delivery!

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:56 | 5365994 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

All of these giant Missing Money Bombs-only a COUNTRY could possibly need to steal Bills&Trills-Now what Country has the Means Motive and Opportunity to Sneak Thief Money at such Volume? Hm.What Country could it Possiby Be? Can sombody figure this out?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 09:18 | 5366979 auntiesocial
auntiesocial's picture

i was never very good at guessing games...

http://imgur.com/Ze4FMKw

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:55 | 5366156 Ignatius
Ignatius's picture

And Gary Webb just made up all that CIA/cocain connection shit.

Yeah, right.

The 'War on Drugs' is a farce.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 23:11 | 5366207 VW Nerd
VW Nerd's picture

Jim Willie expounds on the CIA/Black Ops/Afghan heroin connection on some of his recent interviews...

 

http://www.allnewspipeline.com/They_Know_Chaos_Is_Coming.php

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 05:39 | 5366589 shovel ready
shovel ready's picture

If they had simply given every man, woman and child in Afghanistan $253 each ($7.6B / 30M people), this would have been more than a 50% increase in the median annual income(~$425 pa).

Given that the median annual income probably represents 1 family member and not all the kids etc you can probably double this figure for workers/earners.

So... they probably could have offered everybody a 10% pay increase if they just take the year off and do nothing....

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 09:12 | 5366944 auntiesocial
auntiesocial's picture

ditto. it is not meant to be stopped. just spent by people other than you and me. and if you end up with a habit or deal in NYC, you are the schmuck thrown in prison. 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:35 | 5365763 alexcojones
alexcojones's picture

Heroin is a cash crop for our Black Ops GOV

And helps support the prison industry here at home.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:25 | 5365767 alexcojones
alexcojones's picture

 Not long ago I spoke to a couple of former US Marines who served in Afghanistan.

"What was your job over there?" I asked.

"Guarding the poppy fields," they said, as these images attest.

Images for Us Marines Guarding Poppy Fields

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:06 | 5366024 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

NATO Ally TURKEY is the Transhipment point and where the OPIUM CONVOYS are headed-destination HEROIN fACTORIES.And it is al perfectly well known-courtesy of SIBEL EDMONDS=the most court-ordered gagged person in US history.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:41 | 5365774 zerohedgejjxxzz12
zerohedgejjxxzz12's picture

Does Oly North mean anything here!

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:50 | 5365979 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

In South Florida,it's a PLACE.Olly's Cove.Nobody can see what goes on.Or if they do.they better make sure nobody finds out they saw something.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:41 | 5365776 takeaction
takeaction's picture

Not trying to thread jack....But this needs to be a headline story.  It has started already.  Vote Republicn and the vote is switched..."Calibration ERROR"....Really?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/10/22/calibration-error-changes-gop...

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:43 | 5365787 cornflakesdisease
cornflakesdisease's picture

Saw that on the Drudge.  Things seem to be unravelling quickly.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:47 | 5365969 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

"Situation Undeveloping..."

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:47 | 5365782 q99x2
q99x2's picture

When did the Kerry dynasty take office? Answer: confirmed by the U.S. Senate by a vote of 94–3 on January 29, 2013 Kerry assumed the office of the Secretary of State on February 1, 2013.

Oooohhhh. Imagine that bitchez The Forbes/Kerry drug smuggling dynasty takes office of SoS and opium production goes up 50%.

That calls for a dose of the Hunch.

Feel better now.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:43 | 5365784 NoVa
NoVa's picture

Sad

simply Sad

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:43 | 5365788 Gerb00
Gerb00's picture

If some white cracker showed up and told me to stop producing the cash crop that feeds me kids, would I stop?

Oh I would drop right down and kiss their ring of omnipotence....and thank them for saving me....and promise to donate to the DNC....

Let them all burn in hell.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:44 | 5365965 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

They want them to grow Potatoes.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:48 | 5365800 wharfdaddy
wharfdaddy's picture

I have it on good account that the US Blackhawks are flying right out to the Poppy fields to collect opium from the tribal chiefs. No wonder kids are dying in record numbers from overdoses all across the nation and around the world. 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:49 | 5365804 Duc888
Duc888's picture

 

 

The WOD is a resounding sucess for both the banks as well as Law Enforcement Agencies. 

 

It's a jobs program for LEO's as well as a mechanism for funding black projects for extra governmental entities and the banks NEED the WOD to produce their record "skim" by laundering the monies.

 

Win, win, win.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:56 | 5365822 disabledvet
disabledvet's picture

Even Goring was a drug addict.

Why not all of Pakistan?  Just import the rich people...everything will be fine!

This is a happy time!  Here...and some of my stash for free!

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:54 | 5365815 fibonacci's claus
fibonacci's claus's picture

 i remember hearing that when the taliban retook afghanistan they wiped out all the poppy fields stopped the drug trade there, and when the u.s went back in within 12 months the poppy fields were back up and running. 

does anyone else remember hearing that???

we all remember iran contra.  ole's rat line to nicaragua had a cocaine nose job that ended here in the states and crack was born in the ghettos.  i guess in ole's heart it was the lesser of two evils?

we have now found out that all the major banks were in on laundering the drug money and that it was washed through the markets etc. 

if it is a three/four trillion dollar trade a year (all in u.s dollars) that must mean that there are some very huge black ops going on with some very serious financing... cuz all main st has seen is death and destruction and militarized police forces

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:56 | 5365821 FeralSerf
FeralSerf's picture

I remember it well.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:59 | 5365832 disabledvet
disabledvet's picture

Hunter Biden was no accident!

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:12 | 5365863 juangrande
juangrande's picture

Back in the Iran/Contra days, arms were flown out and coke flown in to where you say? Mena Arkansas. And who was the Gov of Ark? Why Slick Willy!  Quid pro quo....

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:40 | 5365950 Nondrone 99
Nondrone 99's picture

It's true Fib.The Loot goes to banks.HSBC for a long time.TPTB got mad-they need that $ to prop themselves up.They have Special People for these narco jobs.Used to be Dick Armitage.He's old now.though.John Negroponte handles Death Squads-remember what happened 3 months after State sent Negroponte to Iraq.All through his career Same Thing.Once there was a Bank called Nugan Hand-until they didn't need it because BCCI.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:12 | 5366045 Falling Down
Falling Down's picture

Excellent points, that "other empire" let it roll, unfettered, too, back in the 80's.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:55 | 5366159 luckylogger
luckylogger's picture

I do remember the same thing.....

I think they figured out that money is better than religion so now they run drugs too.......

Maybe Obummer and Bush could write a book...

"How To Fuk Up a Country for Dummies"............

Or maybe...

"How to Fuk up a Country in Five Easy Steps".....

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:59 | 5365817 limacon
limacon's picture

The only external power that made a dent in the Afghans was the Mongols . They simply exterminated them . But the territory repopulated with refugees .

 

See

http://andreswhy.blogspot.com/2012/06/swiss-and-afghan.html

 

Tibet is analogous .

See 

http://andreswhy.blogspot.com/2012/01/genghis-khan-and-ostrum.html

 

And in the US you have the Hillbillies .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillbilly

 "a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammeled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires off his revolver as the fancy takes him. “Hillbillies” are often considered independent and self-reliant individuals that resist the modernization of society. "

This is Afghan or Swiss . Ghurkha too 

 

If the countryside is up-and-down , then so are the people .

And you are welcome to go and call them "sheeple" to their face .



Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:57 | 5365820 Cannon Fodder
Cannon Fodder's picture

That assumes the plan was to eradicate poppy fields... more likely it was to make money off of it.

I really would like to see a study that tracks the money from opium sales... break it down from how much the grower gets, the smugglers, the selers, etc. See how much ends up in Western banks...

Anyone know of any such study?

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:06 | 5365854 FeralSerf
FeralSerf's picture

The Queen decided that such a study wouldn't be politically correct.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 01:14 | 5366434 Otrader
Otrader's picture

Iran contra 2.0.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 06:39 | 5366634 BobRocket
BobRocket's picture

Try this

 

http://www.unodc.org/documents/wdr/WDR_2008/WDR_2008_eng_web.pdf

 

later versions moved to stop putting the prices (wholesale/retail/street) in because it was felt that it was being used as a price guide. (they were right, now the market sets the price)

 

 

'Drugs money saved banks in global crisis, claims UN advisor'

http://www.theguardian.com/global/2009/dec/13/drug-money-banks-saved-un-...

 

(you can see from the spelling mistake in the link why the Guardian is called the Grauniad in the UK)

 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:57 | 5365826 i_call_you_my_base
i_call_you_my_base's picture

They are likely using the funds to pay off internal people to fight or not to fight, depending on who you are and how they feel that day. That's how all of these ME wars function, they pay people. There is little sense of country, only clan, and those clans will fight for the highest bidder (becauase if you live in afghanistan, you're poor as fuck). They also probably use the funds in Iraq, Syria, etc, in the same way.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:58 | 5365829 stormsailor
stormsailor's picture

they should start a campaign to fight honesty, integrity, education, and hard work.   that would really fuck whats left of this country up

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 20:59 | 5365831 axel_hose
axel_hose's picture

$7.6 billion would have bought a lot of Roundup.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:14 | 5365877 juangrande
juangrande's picture

I'm sure there was a cache of discounted Agent Orange that needed using. 

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 21:27 | 5365917 Herdee
Herdee's picture

So,tell me this,how do you actually win a war against a plant?Any new strategies for Uncle Sam?I got one,it's called "spending the money on a proper education sytem".Duh

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 22:11 | 5366040 Falling Down
Falling Down's picture

Hmmm, we have something akin to a heroin epidemic in parts of the U.S., right now.

 

Coincidence? I think not. 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 07:28 | 5366672 therover
therover's picture

Yup....opiate epidemic here in the good ole US (and other countries as well) fills the drug companies coffers.

No coincidence at all.

Wed, 10/22/2014 - 23:38 | 5366269 Seize Mars
Seize Mars's picture

War on drugs a failure?

Is the price of dope very high? Yes.

Is the US government in the business of selling dope? Yes.

Where's the failure?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 00:39 | 5366393 Bumbu Sauce
Bumbu Sauce's picture

209,000 hectares is 516450.247 acres which is 806.95 sq. miles.

How do we arrive at such a specific number of hectares of opium poppy grown in a third world mountainous hellhole where th emajority of people have an equivilent third grave education?  IS there an official poppy growers consortium?  Do they have an Afghani Poppy Congress?  If that number is from satellite imagery, then we also know the location of the poppy fields.  So why aren't they destroyed?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 04:53 | 5366578 22winmag
22winmag's picture

Inject 'em if you got 'em.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 06:25 | 5366620 Freewheelin Franklin
Freewheelin Franklin's picture

Define "failed". 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 06:29 | 5366625 GCT
GCT's picture

Most of those poppie fields end up being harvested for the big drug companies to turn into legal drugs, do not kid yourselves.  This is just a diversion for the real culprits.  The drug companies then turn around and make their drugs and make more then 7.6 billion off these fields.  Sure some of it ends up in the illegal drug trade to keep the war on drugs program going but most ends up at major drug corporations.

I do not blame the afghani farmer trying to make just barely enough money to feed their family.  WoW sounds like the new employment programs in the USA these days!  Part time burger flippers anyone?

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 06:44 | 5366638 BobRocket
BobRocket's picture

The UK produces all pharmaceutical opium at home, no need to import it.

Afghanni opuim is allowed to grow because it destabilises Russia.

US smack cmes mainly from Asia.

 

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 15:03 | 5368452 Loucleve
Loucleve's picture

it destabilises Russia...........

And Iran.  they have an epidemic on their hands too.

Thu, 10/23/2014 - 11:08 | 5367444 Elvis is Alive
Elvis is Alive's picture

Afghan heroin is worth around $70 billion per year. $2 to 3 billion goes to locals. The other 60+ billion goes to those in transporation and distribution. Gee, I wonder who that could be?

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