As most Afghans have become painfully aware, there is a clear connection between the growing of poppy, processing of opium, narcotics trafficking and financing for the enemy bombs and guns that have caused so much trouble for Afghanistan.
Fortunately, as security efforts have improved, so has the success of the nation's programme to stop illegal drug trafficking.
Afghan and international forces announced in early January that in the previous 12 months, their soldiers and police had increased their confiscations of illegal drugs on an astounding scale. This, in turn, has hobbled the ability of the enemies of peace to harm Afghans and prevent them from living peaceful, prosperous lives.
In the calendar year 2011, those forces seized 13 per cent more opium than had been seized the previous year, according to Pajhwok Afghan News. Over the same period, hashish – which is recognized as a haram intoxicating substance under Islam – rose 59 per cent, the news service reported.
But the really big haul came from confiscations of marijuana, which rose 12-fold, and illegally trafficked morphine, which rose 100 times.
Afghan Ministry of Interior spokesman Zahir Azimi told journalists that these increases in illegal narcotics seizures over the last year were part of an overall improvement in the capability of the Afghan National Security Forces. Evidence of that is in the decline of security-related incidents as well as an increase in the capture of enemies over the same period as the increase in drug seizures.
Seizures of illicit drugs are just one of numerous factors that have demonstrated the capability of Afghan forces to weaken the nation's enemies and restore normal lives for their families, communities and nation.
