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Karzai 'impeding Afghan drug war' Karzai 'impeding Afghan drug war'
(about 2 hours later)
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is obstructing efforts to tackle his country's drugs problem, says a former US narcotics official. Afghan President Hamid Karzai is obstructing efforts to tackle his country's drugs problem, a former US counter-narcotics official has said.
Ex-US state department expert Thomas Schweich said Mr Karzai had protected drug lords for political reasons. Thomas Schweich said Mr Karzai had protected drug lords for political reasons and tolerated "a certain level of corruption" rather than lose power.
In an article for the New York Times, he claimed "narco-corruption went to the top of the Afghan government". He said the former attorney-general had told him the president had prevented the prosecution of some 20 officials.
President Karzai has denied the claims, saying his government was succeeding in the field of counter-narcotics. Mr Karzai has denied the claims, saying his government had cut drug production.
"Nobody has done as well as us in the last seven years in the field of counter-narcotics," he told reporters."Nobody has done as well as us in the last seven years in the field of counter-narcotics," he told reporters.
He said his government had eradicated or greatly reduced drug production in more than half of the country's provinces. The president said his government had eradicated or greatly reduced drug production in more than half of the country's provinces.
In his article, in the New York Times Magazine on Sunday, Mr Schweich also wrote that the Pentagon and the British military saw poppy eradication as a problem to be tackled later, once the Taleban had been defeated. But Mr Schweich, who until June was the US state department's co-ordinator for counter-narcotics and justice reform in Afghanistan, said such claims "ignore reality".
Afghanistan's lucrative poppy crop supplies more than 90% of the world's illicit opium, the main ingredient of heroin, and is a valuable source of funds for the Taleban. "The poppy cultivation right now is up and around 200,000 hectares - that's the biggest narco-crop in history," he told the BBC.
Mr Schweich backed earlier claims that Nato and US military commanders had been reluctant to get involved in fighting drugs, fearing that destroying farmers' crops would alienate tribesmen and increase support for the insurgents. "The fact that it's become concentrated in five or six provinces doesn't change the fact that you have a massive, massive opium problem."
Mr Schweich also claimed the Afghan president was not prepared to move against drug lords in the country's south, where most opium and heroin is produced, because the area is his political powerbase. He added: "The attorney-general, who was just fired, told me he had a list of 20 corrupt officials who he was not allowed to prosecute."
"Karzai had Taleban enemies who profited from drugs but he had even more supporters who did," wrote Mr Schweich, who until June was the state department's co-ordinator for counter-narcotics and justice reform in Afghanistan. 'Helplessness'
Mr Schweich also echoed claims that Nato and US commanders had been reluctant to get involved in fighting drugs, fearing that destroying farmers' crops would alienate tribesmen in the south and increase support for the insurgents.
Mr Karzai has said he plans to run for office again next year
"[Mr Karzai] perceives that there are certain people he cannot crack down on and that it is better to tolerate a certain level of corruption than to take an aggressive stand and lose power," he added.
But Mr Karzai denied his supporters were involved in smuggling.But Mr Karzai denied his supporters were involved in smuggling.
"I don't blame Afghans for drugs smuggling. They may do it due to helplessness and there may be only a few of them," he told reporters. "I don't blame Afghans for drugs smuggling. They may do it due to helplessness and there may be only a few of them," he said.
"The rest are all members of the international drug mafia - it's they who benefit from this business," he said. In an article in the New York Times Magazine on Sunday, Mr Schweich also accused the US defence department and military commanders from its Nato ally Britain of obstructing attempts to eradicate the opium crop.
Hostility "Some of our Nato allies have resisted the anti-opium offensive, as has our own Defense Department, which tends to see counter-narcotics as other people's business to be settled once the war-fighting is over," he wrote.
Mr Schweich also accused the US defence department and military commanders from its Nato ally Britain of obstructing attempts to eradicate the opium crop. Facing voters
He wrote: "Some of our Nato allies have resisted the anti-opium offensive, as has our own Defense Department, which tends to see counter-narcotics as other people's business to be settled once the war-fighting is over."
Mr Schweich claimed Britain had urged Mr Karzai to reject a US state department plan to stamp out poppy cultivation.Mr Schweich claimed Britain had urged Mr Karzai to reject a US state department plan to stamp out poppy cultivation.
"Although Britain's foreign office strongly backed anti-narcotics efforts (with the exception of aerial eradication), the British military were even more hostile to the anti-drug mission than the US military," he wrote. "Although Britain's foreign office strongly backed anti-narcotics efforts (with the exception of aerial eradication), the British military were even more hostile to the anti-drug mission than the US military," he wrote. The claims come as Mr Karzai prepares to run for another term in office in next year's Afghan presidential elections.
"British forces - centered in Helmand - actually issued leaflets and bought radio advertisements telling the local criminals that the British military was not part of the anti-poppy effort."
The claims come as Mr Karzai prepares to run for another term in office in next year's Afghan presidential elections.
Mr Schweich wrote: "Karzai was playing us like a fiddle. The US would spend billions of dollars on infrastructure development; the US and its allies would fight the Taliban; Karzai's friends could get richer off the drug trade; he could blame the West for his problems; and in 2009 he would be elected to a new term."Mr Schweich wrote: "Karzai was playing us like a fiddle. The US would spend billions of dollars on infrastructure development; the US and its allies would fight the Taliban; Karzai's friends could get richer off the drug trade; he could blame the West for his problems; and in 2009 he would be elected to a new term."
The United Nations says that enough opium was produced last year in Afghanistan to make more than 880 tonnes of heroin with a street value of $4bn ($2bn).The United Nations says that enough opium was produced last year in Afghanistan to make more than 880 tonnes of heroin with a street value of $4bn ($2bn).
A British Foreign Office spokesman said: "Drugs pose a threat to the future of Afghanistan, and the UK is one of the leaders in international efforts to combat the narcotics trade.A British Foreign Office spokesman said: "Drugs pose a threat to the future of Afghanistan, and the UK is one of the leaders in international efforts to combat the narcotics trade.
"We are committed for the long haul in this challenging endeavour, through a two-pronged approach, to tackle both supply and demand. "We are committed for the long haul in this challenging endeavour, through a two-pronged approach, to tackle both supply and demand."
"Britain and the rest of the international community will continue to do everything we can to support the Afghan government fight the narcotics trade, and promote Afghan development." A US state department spokesman defended the country's support of President Karzai, saying he was working to help improve the plight of Afghanistan.
No comment was forthcoming from the US state department despite a request by the BBC News website.