Opium, Rape & the American Way (Pt. 1 of 2)
The warlords we champion in Afghanistan are as venal, as opposed to the rights of women and basic democratic freedoms, and as heavily involved in opium trafficking as the Taliban. The moral lines we draw between us and our adversaries are fictional. The uplifting narratives used to justify the war in Afghanistan are pathetic attempts to redeem acts of senseless brutality. War cannot be waged to instill any virtue, including democracy or the liberation of women. War always empowers those who have a penchant for violence and access to weapons. War turns the moral order upside down and abolishes all discussions of human rights. War banishes the just and the decent to the margins of society. And the weapons of war do not separate the innocent and the damned. An aerial drone is our version of an improvised explosive device. An iron fragmentation bomb is our answer to a suicide bomb. A burst from a belt-fed machine gun causes the same terror and bloodshed among civilians no matter who pulls the trigger.
“We need to tear the mask off of the fundamentalist warlords who after the tragedy of 9/11 replaced the Taliban,” Malalai Joya, who was expelled from the Afghan parliament two years ago for denouncing government corruption and the Western occupation. “They used the mask of democracy to take power. They continue this deception. These warlords are mentally the same as the Taliban. The only change is physical. These warlords during the civil war in Afghanistan from 1992 to 1996 killed 65,000 innocent people. They have committed human rights violations, like the Taliban, against women and many others.”
“In eight years less than 2,000 Talib have been killed and more than 8,000 innocent civilians has been killed,” she went on. “We believe that this is not war on terror. This is war on innocent civilians. Look at the massacres carried out by NATO forces in Afghanistan. Look what they did in May in the Farah province, where more than 150 civilians were killed, most of them women and children. They used white phosphorus and cluster bombs. There were 200 civilians on 9th of September killed in the Kunduz province, again most of them women and children. The United States and NATO eight years ago occupied my country under the banner of woman’s rights and democracy. But they have only pushed us from the frying pan into the fire. They put into power men who are photocopies of the Taliban.” Afghanistan’s boom in the trade in opium, used to produce heroin, over the past eight years of occupation has funneled hundreds of millions of dollars to the Taliban, al-Qaida, local warlords, criminal gangs, kidnappers, private armies, drug traffickers and many of the senior figures in the government of Hamid Karzai. The New York Times reported that the brother of President Karzai, Ahmed Wali Karzai, has been collecting money from the CIA although he is a major player in the illegal opium business. Afghanistan produces 92 percent of the world’s opium in a trade that is worth some $65 billion, the United Nations estimates. This opium feeds some 15 million addicts worldwide and kills around 100,000 people annually. These fatalities should be added to the rolls of war dead.
Antonio Maria Costa, executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), said that the drug trade has permitted the Taliban to thrive and expand despite the presence of 100,000 NATO troops.
“The Taliban’s direct involvement in the opium trade allows them to fund a war machine that is becoming technologically more complex and increasingly widespread,” said Costa.
The UNODC estimates the Taliban earned $90 million to $160 million a year from taxing the production and smuggling of opium and heroin between 2005 and 2009, as much as double the amount it earned annually while it was in power nearly a decade ago. And Costa described the Afghan-Pakistani border as “the world’s largest free trade zone in anything and everything that is illicit,” an area blighted by drugs, weapons and illegal immigration. The “perfect storm of drugs and terrorism” may be on the move along drug trafficking routes through Central Asia, he warned. Profits made from opium are being pumped into militant groups in Central Asia and “a big part of the region could be engulfed in large-scale terrorism, endangering its massive energy resources,” Costa said... (to be cont.) (Thanks to Chris Hedges)
Keywords
Afghanistan, Opium, Corruption, Democracy, Drugs, Election, Government, Hamid Karzai, Military, Money, Obama, Rape, Security, Terrorism, War, Women
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so what happen to the rest of the 500 million a year coming out of Afghanistan? lets see part two maybe it will rebound from this stay the course no clue attitude.
Thanks, Birch.
Common sense suggests that such a prolific drug trade over a long time is no accident, especially when the history of what has happened in that region is brought into focus.
While the CIA ran its drug operations during the Vietnam War, the Golden Triangle supplied most of the the world's heroin. After that war ended in 1975 an intresting event took place in 1979 when Zbigniew Brzezinski secretly manipulated the Soviet Union into invading Afghanistan while the CIA was secretly funding the mujahideen to fight the Russians. Before the Afghanistan war opium production in Afghanistan was just chump change. But within two years of the CIA operating in Afghanistan, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border area became the world’s top heroin producer. Call me a conspiracy nut but that's no coincidence.
For any doubters I suggest "The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade" by Alfred W. McCoy.
Americans4"Truth"
".....stay the course no clue attitude."
The other 500 million went to terroist training camps throughout the tribal areas.
Al-Qaeda has its finger firmly on the pulse of Americas resolve and believes Obama will cut-n-run by Spring 2010.
Within these new and emboldened terrorist camps is a new weapons division that will be dedicated to processing the weapons grade plutonium and nuclear warheads that will soon be looted from Pakistan.
Paris, London, New York, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego, Washington, Denver, San Fransisco, New Delhi, Bangkok, Dublin, Hong Kong, Madrid, Rome, Los Angeles, Moscow, Tel Aviv..........we won't even "know who is doing it".
Yah, Americans are just a bunch of barbaric murdering sociopaths out to loot the world.
Perhaps we should bring everyone back home and let somebody else have a turn.
-------------------
GIVE ME A BREAK
MikeGuber - Al Qaeda is a myth. It's a boogie-man created by the state to frighten us into turning for protection to the state. It's the oldest political scam in the world.
The military and security industries looted $5 trillion, the housing-related banking system looted $1 trillion more, oil companies almost cornered the global oil market after reaping hundreds of billions of dollars in profits, and Israel managed to con the US into destroying Iraq, the only high-tech, modern secular Arab state in the Middle East.
Americans are dying in Afghanistan because Unocal needs a puppet to help it control the CentGas pipeline. Did I mention Karzai was a CIA asset? Did I mention Karzai was a former Unocal executive?
The White House and the Pentagon now control the American people by the Patriot Act, which robbed the American people of their Constitutional rights and assigned illegal powers to the Chief Executive. Then there is the NSA's electronic eavesdropping on its own citizens in their own homes.
With the suspension of Hebeas corpus any American citizen can (and has been) arrested without cause, searched without warrant and held without charges. Indefinitely. No family member or lawyer is notified. The citizen simply vanishes.
There. Now you have something real to worry about.
Congradulations....you are no longer Skeptical.
Welcome to the exciting world of Delusional.
Americans4truth: What 500 million?
Skeptic: Let's not forget the CIA's role in bringing crack-cocaine into the US back in the 80's. God knows that story sounded crazy... until it was proven.
Mike: I've never said that Americans are "a bunch of barbaric murdering sociopaths out to loot the world." I do think, however, that we need to make a clear distinction between the American people and the American government. They are two completely separate entities with nothing in common.
I am not quite so gullible as to automatically believe everything that is posted above, however, I do have a level of cynicism about our government and its covert involvements.
That said, our troops are on the battlefield and their lives are on the line for us. US.
Until they are back on US soil, we should do everything we can to ensure they are fully equipped and capable of seizing any battlefield victoriously. The current situation, where they are pinned down on the ground as Obama reviews "the strategy" is criminally incompetent.
The strategy could have been reviewed 6 months ago, or 9 months ago and should have been a top priority. Instead, he has pushed socializing our health care system as our troops die on the battle field.
Yosemite - I can tell that you were never a military officer or have not worked in government administration by your compassion for our troops...
Although I have to agree with parts of Birch's blog I have to strongly agree with Mike Gruber and Y-S comments.
Observer, I have known many officers that cared deeply for the troops under their command, the others were fragged for the most part.
Wow, between this and Veteran's Day Parade controversy it's creating flashbacks.
Loomis: The problem is that Yosemite's comment is mere hyperbole. No where in the post does it say we shouldn't keep our troops well equipped. It's his own political agenda, not mine. And Mike... I like Mike, but I can't help but think his head is somewhere in the fourth dimension if he actually believes corruption isn't at work in the world. All is not hunky-dory all the time. Most people are good people, I believe that, but it doesn't excuse the poor behavior of the few. Sadly, the "bad" seem to seem to find their way into the ring much easier than the good.
I know, with your background, loomis.... that you already know that. I'm just talking out loud.
"We should all fear evil men. But there is a greater evil... and that is the indifference of good men." - the Boondock Saints
Observer. As a former Naval Officer I really resent that statement. Do you really think that we didn't care about the people we worked with? That is one of the most outrageous comments I've ever heard. And thanks to the 6 years of my life that I gave for you, you're able to make those comments in this country! You're welcome!
Skeptic:
Regarding your second post and accusations towards the Patriot Act; White House and Pentagon, illegal powers to the Chief Executive and NSA and suspension of Hebeas Corpus. With Obama being President for almost a year now and the Democrats in full control of the remaining branches of Gov. Prey tell, Why have all these wrongs and or crimes not be corrected, but rather continued?
PlacerPal: Don't be pretentious. Your six years, much like mine (former Second Class Petty Officer), weren't so grand as to assure Observer of her Freedom of Speech. Let's be honest here and not fall prey to grandiosity.
Loomis - I worked very closely with military officers who were the kind who found underlings to be expendable, for the greater cause. It didn't matter that they lied, showed no loyalty to people who sacrificed much, or to what was the right thing to do, only to serve their goals and themselves. Even the most compassionate of the group, in the end, jumped into the frenzy of self-preservation. I look at them as cowards, when the world keeps them in high-esteem. Of course, this is not them all but the ones who are, in general, the real heros...are in the trenches.
You should be getting flashbacks for there is nothing new under the sun, especially when it comes to the human condition...
PlacerPal - I knew my comment would bring some out of the woodwork. My question to you, is do you fit the description of what I stated to Loomis, or are you one who "puts himself in the shoes of the enlisted men and petty officers"? If my comment sounded otherwise, I apologize. I have a great love for all of our military, but not as much for those type of people listed above...
Birch,
My comments were directed to America4Truth's statement ....."stay the course no clue attitude".
I know corruption is rampant in the world. And the US is no exception.
Gotta go....(I hope to clarify my heated rants from late last night)
Ok, Mike... I guess I owe you an apology. Sorry. I shouldn't have presumed.
Birch....so now you tell me how I'm supposed to feel and talk? Wow....something else. Observer, yes....I was one of those people that cared about the people that I worked with. Still do, even as a civilian. I'm not particularly crazy about those people that you talk about either. In my experiences I found the majority of those people to be drunks. You know, the "it's always all about me type". Having been raised by alcoholics it was easy for me to pick out the type of officer you were talking about. They want everyone to think that they are smarter, they NEVER take responsibility for their actions and they always BLAME everyone else. Yeah, I know the type...all too well. I have absolutely no use for alcoholics, recovering or current. They still exude the all about me attitude. Have a nice day.
Placer: That was truly one of the nuttiest rants I've heard in a long time... and we do get some crazies. Put the bottle down and sleep for a while before you pick up a keyboard.
If I can respond to one of your coherent statements: In my Navy career there were good and bad commissioned officers as well as some good and terrible chiefs. It all depends on the persons moral fiber, I suppose.
I hear that power corrupts... I'm inclined to believe it.
BirchBricker - For anyone who may have missed the news, reporter Gary Webb wrote a series of articles published in the San Jose Mercury News in 1996 which investigated the CIA-backed Contras smuggling cocaine into the U.S., which was then distributed as crack cocaine in San Francisco and Los Angeles. The profits were funneled to the Contras.
"For the better part of a decade, a San Francisco Bay Area drug ring sold tons of cocaine to the Crips and Bloods street gangs of Los Angeles, and funneled millions in drug profits to a Latin American army run by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, a Mercury News investigation has found. This drug network opened the first pipeline between Colombia's cocaine cartels and the black neighborhoods of Los Angeles, a city now known as the "crack" capital of the world. The cocaine that flooded in helped spark a crack explosion in urban America . . . and provided the cash and connections needed for L.A.'s gangs to buy automatic weapons."
Webb's revelation caused enough of a ripple to merit a congressional investigation and an angry personal visit from CIA chief John M. Deutsch, who refuted the story.
Webb was found dead in his Carmichael home with two gunshots to the head from a .38 revolver. The Sacramento Coroner ruled Webb's death a suicide.
chase2you - I'm asking the same question. I can only say that I know of no politician who ever willingly renounced power. Ever. I feared Mr. Bush for grabbing too much power, and now I fear Mr. Obama for holding on to it. It will be up to the Congress and courts to remove unwarranted executive authority and give it back to the people, to whom it rightfully belongs. Don't hold your breath.
Skeptic: That's exactly the story I'm talking about. Stephen King couldn't write these kinds of scripts.
im sorry i made a mistake its 500 billion coming out of Afghanistan a year. You all know my English typing skills suck. The locals only get 60 to 70 billion for growing it etc.
mikeG you sound like a recording from the bush administration. ditto heads crack me up. dont you know the CIA is controlling the drugs out of Afghanistan? dont you know the CIA started Al Qaeda to fight Russia in the 80s? Afgan leader Hamid Karzais brother is the biggest opium dealer in the country? this drug dealer lived in Chicago till Hamidi was put into power by bush. im sure your a very smart person but your not even close to the facts.
Id be damned if some terrorist across the sea has there finger on the pulse of America. stop living in fear and nut up or shut up.
A4T,
I'll be whom ever you need to make of me...I gather, as to fan the flames of your viral contempt.
To cut-n'-paste from a cesspool of well funded anarchist and defend these planted fictions is your choice.
It must fill a gap of sorts; add meaning to an otherwise lonely existence.
Why hate yourself when you can hate your country and make friends along the way...
I don't make claims to "know" things that would require the highest level of Security Clearance available while you
fingerpaint with toxic theories and twisted events. Chaos is your goal and your choice. And feel free to attack me
for seeing right through it, I expect nothing else.
Without America at its best in the World, I believe tyranny will disolve borders, enslave entire countries, and send the planet into a dark period it may never recover from. You hinderence is blatant, telling me to shut up is proof.
(cont)
When I wrote:
"Why hate yourself when you can hate your country and make friends along the way... "
I was wrong in that I was assuming you are even an American citizen.
"Americans4Truth" could be coming from anywhere in the world...posting as an American, to Americans.
So I should you wrote instead:
Why hate yourself when you can hate others...."
A4T
Perhaps you should change your silly name to "SquirmingFromTheTruth".
And now I know why you cut n" paste so much....you can't write.
My regards to Sorros.....
In response to these attacks, Webb created a web site that contained primary documents, transcripts, and audio interviews. By January 1997, Webb's editors no longer contacted him about his stories. In March, Webb was informed that the paper was going to address the readers about his series. On May 11, 1997, Mercury News executive editor Jerry Ceppos published an editorial describing the series as an "important work" and "solidly documented," but criticized the series for: a reliance on one interpretation of complicated, sometimes-conflicting pieces of evidence; failing to estimate the amount of money involved; for oversimplifying the crack epidemic; and for creating impressions that were open to misinterpretation through imprecise language and graphics.[9] Webb was reassigned to a suburban bureau 150 miles from his home. Because of the long commute, Webb quit the paper in December 1997. On December 18, 1997, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz's investigation found no links between the CIA and the cocaine traffickers.
This is from Wikipedia. I’m not saying the CIA was innocent, but please, these are unsubstantiated claims. Those that want to believe will believe.