DATE=5/5/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40267
TITLE=PAK AFGHAN DRUGS
BYLINE=SARAH HORNER
DATELINE=ISLAMABAD
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
//// FIRST ENGLISH USE BY DATELINE 5/5/98. /////
INTRO: IT IS THE HARVESTING SEASON FOR OPIUM POPPIES IN PAKISTAN
AND AFGHANISTAN. THE TWO COUNTRIES HAVE VERY DIFFERENT DRUG
ISSUES -- IN PAKISTAN NOT MUCH POPPY IS GROWN, BUT THERE IS A
BIG HEROIN USAGE PROBLEM -- IN AFGHANISTAN A VAST AMOUNT OF OPIUM
IS PRODUCED, BUT THERE IS LITTLE DRUG USAGE. SARAH HORNER HAS
DETAILS.
TEXT: THE UNITED NATIONS SAYS IN 1997 AFGHANISTAN HARVESTED
100-TIMES MORE OPIUM THAN PAKISTAN.
THE HEAD OF THE U-N DRUG CONTROL PROGRAM IN SOUTHWEST ASIA, GARY
LEWIS, TOLD V-O-A THIS HAS PRODUCED DIFFERENT -- AND PERHAPS
UNEXPECTED -- DRUG PROBLEMS IN THE TWO COUNTRIES.
// LEWIS ACT //
IN AFGHANISTAN, YOU HAVE GOT A SITUATION WHERE THE MAJOR
PROBLEM RELATES TO PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY. THERE IS VERY
LITTLE CONSUMPTION OF THE PRODUCT PRODUCED IN THAT
COUNTRY. IN PAKISTAN THERE ARE CLOSE TO
ONE-AND-ONE-HALF MILLION HEROIN ADDICTS, IT IS ASSUMED,
AND THERE ARE OPIUM ADDICTS ON TOP OF THAT. REGARDING
TRAFFICKING YOU HAVE PROBLEMS IN BOTH COUNTRIES.
// END ACT //
MR. LEWIS SAYS THIS IS A TURN-AROUND FROM 20-YEARS AGO. THEN,
PAKISTAN PRODUCED AN AVERAGE 800-METRIC TONNES OF OPIUM, COMPARED
TO AN ANNUAL 40-TONNES NOW. BUT 20-YEARS AGO AFGHANISTAN
PRODUCED TWO-TO-FOUR-HUNDRED (200-400) METRIC TONNES, NOW IT IS
28-HUNDRED TONNES.
MR. LEWIS SAYS GREATER HELP BY PAKISTAN'S GOVERNMENT HAS HELPED
THE U-N DRUGS CONTROL PROGRAM -- THE U-N-D-C-P -- COMBAT
POPPY-GROWING.
// LEWIS ACT //
U-N-D-C-P IS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGED -- WORLD-WIDE, NOT
JUST IN THIS SUB-REGION -- IF WE ARE TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS
IN DRUG REDUCTION WE MUST WORK WITH COUNTERPART
AUTHORITIES. YOU CAN GIVE AS MUCH ASSISTANCE AS YOU
WANT. IN THE END, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT ASSISTANCE
BACKED UP BY THE ABILITY OF COUNTERPART AUTHORITIES TO
ENFORCE THE LAW.
// END ACT //
SOME POPPY AREAS REMAIN IN PAKISTAN, MAINLY IN THE SO-CALLED
TRIBAL AREAS IN THE NORTHWEST FRONTIER PROVINCE. THE GOVERNMENT
AND TRIBAL REGION LEADERS HAVE BEEN NEGOTIATING RECENTLY IN AN
EFFORT TO STOP THE HARVESTING OF THIS YEAR'S CROP -- WHICH BEGAN
LAST MONTH.
HUNDREDS OF SOLDIERS HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO FORCIBLY DESTROY CROPS
WHERE TRIBAL LEADERS ARE UNWILLING TO DO SO. SOME LEADERS HAVE
RESISTED, CAUSING THE U-N-D-C-P TO TAKE AN UNPRECEDENTED STEP
THIS YEAR AND SUSPEND U-N FUNDED DRUG CONTROL PROJECTS IN SOME
DISTRICTS.
BUT, THIS IS A SMALL PROBLEM COMPARED TO THE SITUATION IN
AFGHANISTAN WHERE TWO-DECADES OF WAR HAVE RAVAGED THE COUNTRY,
DESTROYING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE AND LEAVING IT LARGELY UN-GOVERNED.
SINCE THE EARLY 1980'S DRUG PRODUCTION IN AFGHANISTAN HAS
FLOURISHED, RIVALING BURMA TO BE THE WORLD'S LARGEST PRODUCER OF
OPIUM.
MOST OF BURMA'S OPIUM ENDS UP AS HEROIN IN THE UNITED STATES
WHILE AFGHANISTAN IS EUROPE'S BIGGEST SUPPLIER.
TWO THIRDS OF AFGHANISTAN, INCLUDING THE CAPITAL, KABUL, IS
CONTROLLED BY THE TALEBAN -- AN EXTREME ISLAMIC GROUP THAT
EMERGED IN AFGHANISTAN NEARLY FOUR-YEARS AGO.
STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF THE TALEBAN'S VERSION OF MUSLIM LAW HAS
RESULTED IN IMPROVED ORDER IN AREAS UNDER TALEBAN CONTROL, BUT IT
HAS NOT LED TO A DECREASE IN DRUG PRODUCTION -- MORE THAN
96-PERCENT OF WHICH IS IN REGIONS CONTROLLED BY THE TALEBAN.
LAST MONTH, NARCOTICS EXPERTS FROM THE UNITED STATES DRUG
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY MET WITH THE TALEBAN IN KABUL TO DISCUSS DRUG
CONTROL. THEIR MEETING CAME SHORTLY AFTER THE VISIT TO
AFGHANISTAN BY THE U-S AMBASSADOR TO THE UNITED NATIONS, BILL
RICHARDSON.
AMBASSADOR RICHARDSON TOLD THE TALEBAN CROP SUBSTITUTES SHOULD BE
FOUND. THE TALEBAN EXPRESSED THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COOPERATE IF
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE IS GIVEN.
IN FEBRUARY, THE U-N INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS BOARD'S ANNUAL
REPORT SAID DURING THE PAST TWO-YEARS THERE HAS BEEN NO
SYSTEMATIC EFFORT BY THE TALEBAN TO ERADICATE POPPY CULTIVATION
IN AFGHANISTAN. IN ONE AREA, HELMAND, DRUG PRODUCTION INCREASED
BY 34-PERCENT DURING 1997.
MR. LEWIS SAYS U-N-D-C-P HAS TWO DRUG CONTROL ACTION PLANS WITH
THE TALEBAN -- ONE EACH FOR SOUTH AND EAST AFGHANISTAN. IT
COMMITS THE TALEBAN TO TAKING DRUG CONTROL MEASURES IN RETURN FOR
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM U-N-D-C-P. MR LEWIS SAYS THE TALEBAN
SAY THEY WILL TACKLE NEW PRODUCTION AREAS.
// LEWIS ACT //
WE HAVE REQUESTED A CERTAIN PHASED REDUCTION OF OPIUM
POPPY OVER A TWO AND THREE-YEAR PERIOD AS WELL AS THEIR
(THE TALEBAN'S) COMMITMENT TO ALLOW OUR SURVEYORS TO
WORK IN THE OPIUM FIELDS DURING HARVEST TO MEASURE AND
MONITOR ELIMINATION. WE HAVE ALSO REQUIRED THEM TO BE
COMMITTED TO THE DESTRUCTION OF ANY NEW AREAS. THIS WAS
BROUGHT TO THEIR ATTENTION IN THE MIDDLE OF APRIL, AND
THEY HAVE ANNOUNCED RECENTLY THEY WILL DESTROY NEW POPPY
CULTIVATED IN THOSE AREAS. THEY SAY THEY WILL BURN THE
RELEVANT AMOUNT OF POPPY -- TWO-METRIC TONNES -- ON 1ST
JUNE.
// END ACT //
U-N-D-C-P HAS NOT WORKED IN SOUTHERN AFGHANISTAN SINCE THE UNITED
NATIONS SUSPENDED ALL ACTIVITIES IN THE AREA IN MARCH, FOLLOWING
DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE TALEBAN AND U-N OFFICIALS.
A U-N DELEGATION IS CURRENTLY MEETING TALEBAN AUTHORITIES IN
KABUL IN AN EFFORT TO RESOLVE THE DISPUTE. MEANWHILE, THE
HARVESTING SEASON IN AFGHANISTAN IS IN FULL SWING AND IS DUE TO
END IN EARLY JULY. (SIGNED)
NEB/SLH/RAE
05-May-98 12:31 PM EDT (1631 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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