United States Support for Afghanistan's Counternarcotics Campaign

The United States and the international community are helping the Government of Afghanistan in its efforts to counter cultivation, production, and trafficking of opium. The narcotics industry accounts for over one-third of Afghanistan's Gross Domestic Product and poses a threat to that country's stability and emerging democracy. Estimates of increased opium cultivation in 2006 highlight the challenge confronting Afghanistan and its international partners.

The Government of Afghanistan has adopted a multi-year, multi-faceted international counternarcotics strategy that targets eradication, interdiction, and prosecution. The campaign aims to:

• Transform attitudes among Afghans and build support for counternarcotics efforts.
• Offer legitimate economic alternatives to opium poppy cultivation.
• Raise the risk of involvement in opium to farmers, traffickers, and corrupt officials.

The United States has undertaken an active role in this international effort with programs that target eradication, interdiction, law enforcement/judicial reform, alternative livelihoods, and public information campaigns.

Eradication

Eradication programs add a crucial element of risk into a farmer's decision to plant opium. Poppy Elimination Program teams, composed of Afghans and international advisors, work with provincial governments to monitor cultivation and compliance, report developments to the central government, deliver public information, implement alternative livelihood programs, and request eradication by provincial or national authorities. A specialized police unit, the Afghan Eradication Force (AEF), backs up provincial efforts. This year, the AEF eradicated nearly 2,400 hectares of poppy in three provinces. This is in addition to over 13,000 hectares eradicated through governor-led programs in 19 provinces.

Interdiction

Interdiction targets narcotics traffickers and processors. The United States and international partners are helping Afghanistan build its ability to destroy clandestine labs, seize precursor chemicals and opiates, and arrest high-volume traffickers. Since October 2005, Afghan law enforcement, with the help of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and international partners, seized over 4,000 kilos of opium, more than 760 kilos of heroin, more than 800 kilos of hashish, and several tons of precursor chemicals.

Law Enforcement/Judicial Reform

Justice reform provides laws and processes that ensure punishment for those involved in the narcotics trade. To assist the Government of Afghanistan in establishing security and rule of law, the United States is training police, reforming the Ministry of Interior, and providing critical infrastructure and equipment.

• Assistant U.S. Attorneys helped the Afghan Government establish a Central Narcotics Tribunal to try all medium- and high-value traffickers. Over 100 cases are in process, including several involving major traffickers.
• A Criminal Justice Task Force was established to prosecute traffickers and to enact a comprehensive Anti-Narcotics law.

Alternative Livelihoods Program

New infrastructure and economic opportunities increase farmer income from legal crops, provide long-term rural jobs, and offer legitimate alternatives to opium production. The U.S. is providing infrastructure (roads, industrial parks, irrigation systems), capacity (credit programs, business development, market training), and agricultural resources (seeds, fertilizer, orchards) in nine key provinces to develop Afghanistan's legal economy.

• The U.S. Agency for International Development and other donors provided 4.6 million cash-for-work days for Afghan laborers, built hundreds of kilometers of roads, and dredged 6,200 kilometers of canals.
• 1,500 hectares of fruit and nut orchards were planted in the eastern region of the country.
• Seeds and fertilizers were provided to hundreds of thousands of farmers in all 34 provinces.
• Cold storage facilities have been established in the south and a business development center in the east.

Public Information Campaign

Public information messages raise awareness about the negative consequences of poppy cultivation and promote behavior change. The U.S. Counter Narcotics Public Information Campaign (CNPI) spreads a strong message opposing poppy cultivation backed by prime Afghan values of religion, health, family, culture, security, and wealth. The CNPI distributes radio, TV, and print materials nationwide. Public information messages by local leaders and religious figures have been effective. An increasing majority of Afghans believes involvement with drugs is wrong.

• Twenty million people have been reached primarily through radio spots since the CNPI began in October 2005.
• Over 18,000 posters and 600,000 stickers with anti-opium messages have been distributed.
• Over 30 radio spots and nearly 6,000 nationwide broadcasts with a counternarcotics message were aired in the first six months of 2006.