Pubdate: Wed, 11 Feb 2004
Source: Montreal Gazette (CN QU)
Copyright: 2004 The Gazette, a division of Southam Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/montreal/montrealgazette/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/274
Author: Roman Korol
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v04/n235/a02.html?11603

SAFEGUARDING THE DRUG TRADE?

So 19 luckless members of the Royal 22e Regiment, testing positive for drug 
use, will not be going to Afghanistan (Gazette, Feb. 6, "Stoned on guard 
for thee"). One cannot help chortling at this news.

While Afghanistan's opium-poppy production shrank to virtually nothing by 
the last year of Taliban rule, under U.S. occupation it has rocketed back 
to record-breaking levels, and reportedly accounts for more than 75 per 
cent of the world's opium production.

How disarmingly naive of the Van Doo brass, then, to tut-tut over a few 
soldiers' partaking of drugs. For all we know, it might well come from the 
very same people whose activities the soldiers will be duty-bound to 
protect, tolerate or discreetly to ignore.

Roman Korol

Montreal
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom