Afghanistan the New Narco-State
American officials have accused Britain of being "substantially responsible" for the failure to make more progress in eradicating heroin production in Afghanistan, said a classified document published yesterday. The three-page cable sent by the US embassy in Kabul to the State Department said the British-led campaign against the drug trade was selecting the wrong targets. It also accused British officials of refusing to alter their plans when asked to do so. The document accused President Hamid Karzai of a failure of leadership, by offering only ineffective backing to the campaign. The Afghan leader said he was unwilling to step up the attack on drugs until the international community makes good on promises to fund alternatives for Afghanistan's impoverished farmers. That has angered US officials, worried by soaring heroin production and the possible creation of wealthy narco-terrorists. The report said: "Although Mr Karzai was well aware of the difficulty in trying to implement an effective ground eradication programme, he was unwilling to assert strong leadership, even in his own province of Kandahar." It related a recent US-led attempt to wipe out opium poppy fields in the area that encountered heavily armed resistance. Despite requests for assistance from Kabul, the force received "no support whatsoever from key members" of the government, "namely President Karzai".
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