Pubdate: Fri, 07 Sep 2007
Source: Victoria Times-Colonist (CN BC)
Copyright: 2007 Times Colonist
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonist/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/481
Author: Connor Whelan

AFGHAN WAR ON DRUGS STILL MAKES SENSE

Re: "War on drugs should be waged here," opinion, Sept. 1.

It is specious reasoning to imply that interdiction of the opium 
trade is not an important strategic target for NATO troops.

Cutting off the flow of narco-dollars that is used to purchase 
weapons, ammunition and bombs being used to kill our soldiers is 
clearly an objective worth pursuing.

That the likely result of such a strategy will be significantly less 
heroin on North American streets translates into a huge benefit to 
the war on drugs at home, not to mention the invaluable 
narco-intelligence that is being gained through the presence of our 
military at the very heart of the opium trade.

It makes much more sense to intercept a truckload of heroin in 
Afghanistan or some point in between there and North America before 
the load is split and transferred through various levels of 
traffickers making interception of the entire shipment virtually impossible.

Connor Whelan,

Ladysmith.
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