Afghanistan on Verge of Becoming a Narcotics State, U.S. Report Says

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By GEORGE GEDDA, Associated Press Writer

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WASHINGTON - More than three years after installing a pro-U.S. government, Afghanistan (news - web sites) has been unable to contain opium poppy production and is on the verge of becoming a narcotics state, a presidential report said Friday.

The report said the area in Afghanistan devoted to poppy cultivation last year set a record of more than 510,000 acres, more than triple the figure for 2003. Opium poppy is the raw material for heroin.


The Afghan narcotics situation "represents an enormous threat to world stability," the report said.


It listed opium production at 5,445 tons, 17 times more than second-place Myanmar.


The massive study, covering the state of illicit narcotics in 2004 in virtually all countries, was transmitted to Congress by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) on behalf of President Bush (news - web sites).


Colombia remains a major drug country, the report said, despite impressive progress against narcotics trafficking.


It credited Colombia's public security forces with preventing hundreds of tons of illicit drugs from reaching the world market through interdiction, spraying of coca and poppy crops, and manual eradication.


The United States has been a major counterdrug partner of Colombia, having contributed billions of dollars to the effort since 2000.


Colombia is the source of more than 90 percent of the cocaine and 50 percent of the heroin entering the United States, the report said. It is also a leading user of precursor chemicals and the focus of significant money laundering activity.


In Afghanistan, the U.S. military deposed the Taliban government in November 2001. President Hamid Karzai has been in charge since then with strong American backing.


"Dangerous security conditions make implementing counternarcotics programs difficult and present a substantial obstacle to both poppy eradication efforts by the national government and to international efforts to provide related assistance," the report said.


Also contributing to the situation is the destruction resulting from 25 years of conflict, the lack of legitimate income streams, and the limited enforcement capacity of the national government, the report said.


A five-point plan for Afghanistan developed in the latter half of 2004 includes promotion of alternative crops for poppy farmers, ground eradication and interdiction of heroin labs and storage facilities.


The administration is proposing $780 million to help implement the plan.


The report said that with U.S. efforts, the size of illicit drug crops in the Western Hemisphere was cut significantly.


Nonetheless, the study pointed out that Bolivian coca cultivation increased 6 percent even though the government exceeded its commitment to eradicate nearly 20,000 acres of the coca crop.


On Mexico, the report credited the government of President Vicente Fox (news - web sites) with continued "unprecedented cooperation" in combatting drug flows.


The cooperation included, the report said, the arrest of numerous Mexican drug kingpins and top aides as part of an effort to dismantle major crime organizations.

However, it added, Mexico was the transit point for 90 percent of the cocaine smuggled into the United States from South America. It also listed Mexico as a major the producer of heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana destined for U.S. markets.

Worldwide, the United States is committing $1.2 billion to counter-narcotics activities this year.

The undersecretary of state for global affairs, Paula Dobriansky, told reporters there was significant progress globally against narcotics trafficking in 2004. She cited Latin America and Southeast Asia as areas of progress.

Nonetheless, she said, "all nations must redouble their efforts to meet the challenge posed by drug trafficking."

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