Bush to MegaNarcoState: "You are inspiring others!"

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4761432.stm

In a press conference with Mr Karzai, President Bush told the Afghan people their democracy was taking hold: "You are inspiring others and the inspiration will cause others to demand their freedom."

Um, yeah, sure. Who wouldn't be inspired by a nation that has devolved into the biggest narcostate in history?

British forces stay away as Afghan opium war begins

And:

"All's well with Afghanistan opium trade. Business is booming! "Two years after the ousting of the Taliban regime, which had cracked down ruthlessly on the cultivation of opium, production of the substance last year hit 3,600 tones, up 6 per cent over the previous year, and surveys of farmers show a further increase is likely this year." This war against terrorists is great for the drug trade. See any pattern when troops are garrisoned? The protection racket just runs their traffic with more efficiency. read more

Karzai has no control out of Kabul. Zero, zip, zilch.

to be a leader. :grr:

Shit, I forgot it even had people.

he was an executive for Shell Oil, in Afghanistan, stealing and killing his people in the name of corporate profit.

The original Le Monde article in which that claim appeared has never been corroborated by any other source.

In any burgeoning government there are always problems in terms of state wide control. And in a country that has been so lawless like Afghanistan how strong is the Karzide gov't now compared to when it was elected? Anyone know?

For a radius of about 3 city blocks. Beyond that, it's anarchy unless you count the de facto rule of the Taliban. And getting steadily worse.

I don't think I'd use a word like "burgeoning," which implies flourishing, to describe the current official Afghan government. Hanging on by their fingernails to an ever-shrinking ledge is more like it.

But it's a fine word to describe the drug trade there. :)

i'd love to do more research into this topic!