Pubdate: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 Source: Peterborough Examiner, The (CN ON) Page: A4 Copyright: 2007 Osprey Media Group Inc. Contact: http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2616 Author: Scott Taylor Cited: http://www.senliscouncil.org/modules/Opium_licensing Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topics/Senlis+Council Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/Afghanistan Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/NATO Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/poppy+farming Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) VIEW ON THE MILITARY Losing Hearts to Taliban Last week, even before the Senlis Council released its latest survey on the situation in southern Afghanistan, the Canadian defence establishment was circling the wagons. A flurry of e-mails alerted Conference of Defence Associations (CDA) members to the fact that previous Senlis Council findings "have been less than positive about this mission." Presumably, in the eyes of the CDA, the publishing of negative assessments automatically damages the credibility of the independent Senlis Council. That's right old chaps, the army says we're winning the war, so thump those tubs and drown out any naysayers! Unfortunately for those who wish it were otherwise, the Senlis Council is the real deal. In January, I had the opportunity to observe their collection of data in Kandahar first-hand. As one of the few non-governmental agencies still operating in the Taliban heartland, Senlis members compile their research at great personal risk. All staff members travel armed and dress as local Pashtuns. The founder of the organization, Saskatchewan-born Norine MacDonald, disguises her gender by dressing as an Afghan boy. Additional security is provided by a couple of dozen Afghan guards. Nevertheless, Senlis Council members realize their ability to operate unhindered in the Kandahar area comes as a result of the trust they've established with the local warlords and tribal leaders. While their primary purpose is not to provide humanitarian aid, Senlis will distribute food and medicine to refugee camps in order to conduct their fact-finding surveys. Last fall, having personally canvassed a large number of Afghan farmers, Senlis tabled a recommendation for the international community to purchase the illegal poppy crops rather eradicate them. According to Senlis, conversion of these opiates into legal pharmaceutical products would eliminate the problem of street drugs and would not deprive the poppy farmers of their basic livelihood. Despite the common-sense logic of this proposal, when it was tabled the Colonel Blimps immediately took to the airwaves to denounce the Senlis Council. To purchase poppies from druglords would be insane they harrumphed. As a chorus they denounced such measures by saying they would empower the enemy and undermine the war effort. What they didn't realize was that the Senlis solution was a carbon-copy of what NATO commanders concluded two years ago. Unfortunately, the major pharmaceutical companies felt that a sudden glut of cheap opiates would flood the market and adversely affect their corporate profits. But I digress. In their most recent report, Senlis concludes that persistent poverty and a growing disillusionment with NATO troops is pushing Afghans into supporting the Taliban. After polling some 17,000 Afghan males in the southern provinces it was estimated that 27 per cent openly support the insurgency, and just 48 per cent believe that NATO can win the war. The rare feedback Senlis has provided should not be glibly dismissed. In fact, if the CDA tub-thumpers would pause their clamouring for a minute to consider the results, they would have to admit the Senlis findings mirror the situation on the ground. The Taliban have certainly been resurgent in southern Afghanistan over the past 12 months as evidenced by the dramatic increase in suicide bombings. As the fighting drags on, it is only logical that the local inhabitants would grow resentful of the coalition's apparent inability to provide a secure environment. The Taliban may not seem like a very attractive option, but if they are offering to feed the families of their new recruits, they become a desperate means of survival. Rather than dismiss Senlis reports before they're even published, NATO should consider the intelligence value they provide and use it to better understand the local sentiment. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard Lake