The U.S.-NATO operations in Afghanistan are a failure — as both military and drug-fighting operations, Igor Khokhov, an anti-drug expert at the Institute of International Economics and International Relations (IMEMO) in Moscow, said Sept. 24. "The U.S. has a lot of troubles in Afghanistan, such as increased influence of the Taliban, which controls the biggest part of the country. Thus, people have no choice — either to grow poppies for drug lords, or cooperate with the Taliban. Obviously, drug trafficking is not among Obama's current priorities," Voice of Russia quoted Khokhlov. Khokhlov has been emphasizing the failure of the U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations for some time, saying in earlier interviews that military intervention has never worked in Afghanistan, since the British tried it in the 19th century, and it will not work today. To deal with the current crisis, stopping the opium traffic is essential. In May, Khokhlov pointed out that Uzbekistan, among other Central Asian nations, is working on biological means to eradicate opium.
Viktor Ivanov, head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, addressing the Federal Counter-Narcotics Agency Sept. 24, called for creating an anti-drug department in the Russian Defense Ministry to combat the well-armed drug caravans from Afghanistan. This is necessary because Afghan drug traffickers are not being controlled by the U.S. and NATO forces, he said.
Reflecting Ivanov's statements, Voice of Russia reported on Monday that international interdiction of opium is essential, due to the failed operations inside Afghanistan. "If the NATO troops cannot control drug distribution inside Afghanistan, it is necessary to control it during transportation across the border with the help of the neighboring countries. And taking into consideration the ever growing volume of drug trafficking, all methods of fighting it become important," the Voice of Russia report stated.
Viktor Ivanov called for a separate, unified anti-drug budget in Russia, citing the U.S. $15.5 billion anti-drug program, which is 100 times bigger than the current Russian budget. Voice of Russia reported that a permanent representative of Russia's Defense Ministry would soon join the Anti-Drug organization, under a law being prepared by the Russian Presidential Administration. Drug trafficking from Afghanistan can only be stopped by regular military forces at this point, and the Russian military does have intelligence and special forces capabilities for this work. Dmitry Rogozin, Russian permanent representative in NATO, pointed to U.S. Special Operations troops being used in Colombia against the drug mafia, as an example for using military forces in Russia, VOR reported.
Viktor Ivanov, head of Russia's Federal Drug Control Service, addressing the Federal Counter-Narcotics Agency Sept. 24, called for creating an anti-drug department in the Russian Defense Ministry to combat the well-armed drug caravans from Afghanistan. This is necessary because Afghan drug traffickers are not being controlled by the U.S. and NATO forces, he said.
Reflecting Ivanov's statements, Voice of Russia reported on Monday that international interdiction of opium is essential, due to the failed operations inside Afghanistan. "If the NATO troops cannot control drug distribution inside Afghanistan, it is necessary to control it during transportation across the border with the help of the neighboring countries. And taking into consideration the ever growing volume of drug trafficking, all methods of fighting it become important," the Voice of Russia report stated.
Viktor Ivanov called for a separate, unified anti-drug budget in Russia, citing the U.S. $15.5 billion anti-drug program, which is 100 times bigger than the current Russian budget. Voice of Russia reported that a permanent representative of Russia's Defense Ministry would soon join the Anti-Drug organization, under a law being prepared by the Russian Presidential Administration. Drug trafficking from Afghanistan can only be stopped by regular military forces at this point, and the Russian military does have intelligence and special forces capabilities for this work. Dmitry Rogozin, Russian permanent representative in NATO, pointed to U.S. Special Operations troops being used in Colombia against the drug mafia, as an example for using military forces in Russia, VOR reported.
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