Comments on: Al-Qaeda in Financial Squeeze

By: Chiara

Chiara — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:57:17 +0000

Increased demand for medical opium would be a boon to both economies but that implies increased illness (usually cancer pain) necessitating it–hmmm ethical dilemma, or not. If as has been proposed recently drug addiction programs switch from methadone to heroin that would increase market demand. Another rather unhappy solution! I doubt Turkey would fall into the disarray of Afghanistan, as the latter has had none stop war for almost 30 years, and devastation of the infrastructure.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:41:54 +0000

Turkey is heavily dependent on the income it receives from its legal opium production. Cutting its quota in order to help Afghanistan might not be a wise thing to do as it would propose serious problems for the Turkish economy. Do we need two Afghanistans?

By: Chiara

Chiara — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:39:32 +0000

Medical Opium ie growing poppies for sale to companies that make medical grade opium for cancer pain, end of life, etc seems to be one of the better solutions. But Turkey has almost a monopoly and doesn’t want Afghanistan sharing in the profits.

By: John Burgess

John Burgess — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:26:30 +0000

There have been a variety of efforts, both by the US and the UN, to get Afghan farmers to shift crop production. Those efforts date back to long before even the Soviet invasion.

The problem is that opium brings in so much more money than even market prices+ for wheat, barley, or any other legitimate crop. It would remain that way, too, until the price of opium dropped to that of grain crops or grain crops became more expensive than poppies.

When the Taleban first came into power, they decreased poppy production significantly on moral ground, but then discovered that they needed the money…

By: Anonymous (2)

Anonymous (2) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:42:00 +0000

In the article, a member who joined Al-Qaede stated, “We asked members of the organization why they wouldn’t let us fight as that’s what we’d come for, and they said they had a policy of basically hiding and planning to prolong the war as that was what would hurt the Americans the most,” Al-Otaibi told Al-Watan.

Al-Qaeda wants to prolong the war? They must not want Americans to leave Afghanistan.

A charity should be set up to pay Afghan civilians to destroy their poppy fields and start growing wheat instead. This would drain any funds Al-Qaeda has, and more bread would be produced.

By: Chiara

Chiara — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:28:01 +0000

That news is both good and bad. Good against Al-Qaeda, and bad that at least here Muslims are afraid to donate to Muslim charities and causes for fear of harassment by the government. There has been a notable reduction in giving that is challenging for the Muslim community.