Pubdate: Fri, 29 Jun 2007
Source: Edmonton Journal (CN AB)
Copyright: 2007 The Edmonton Journal
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/edmonton/edmontonjournal/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/134
Author: Mike Blanchfield, CanWest News Service
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/decrim.htm (Decrim/Legalization)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin)

LEGALIZING AFGHAN POPPY CROP WON'T WORK, EXPERT SAYS

Illicit Drug Production Would Carry On, He Warns

OTTAWA - Many have touted it as a simple and compelling solution to 
Afghanistan's chronic poppy problem: legalize the world-leading opium 
trade to take it out of the hands of criminals and terrorists.

The controversial Senlis Council, the federal Liberal party, a major 
Canadian foreign policy think-tank, even a former Canadian NATO 
ambassador have all advocated some form of legal and controlled opium 
production. Doing so, they argue, would deprive drug dealers of 
massive profits while easing the pain of the world's sick and putting 
money into the pockets of poor Afghan farmers.

As far as William A. Byrd is concerned, that's all just one big pipe dream.

"In terms of turning from illicit to licit production, it just seems 
like a non-starter," said Byrd, who until recently was the World 
Bank's senior economic adviser in Kabul. "It is not feasible for the 
foreseeable future."

Byrd developed the World Bank's reconstruction strategy for 
Afghanistan following the ouster of its Taliban rulers in late 2001.

Byrd, who has a doctorate in economics from Harvard, has since become 
the bank's senior advisor on poverty reduction in Washington. He took 
part in a panel discussion in Ottawa Thursday on the economics of the 
Afghanistan narcotics industry.

In a succinct presentation, aided by a few slides, Byrd 
systematically and dispassionately attempted to debunk the 
legalization argument.

Byrd said India is already licensed to legally manufacture opium, but 
it still suffers from a 30-per-cent "leakage" of the drug into the 
illicit criminal trade. And that comes in functioning, stable 
democracy, he added.

"What kind of leakage rate would you see in Afghanistan? It's just 
unimaginable. I'm just trying to point out the practical difficulties 
in a country where you don't even have basic rule of law established," he said.

"How on earth are you going to . . . license production without 
enormous leakages?"

Afghanistan is the biggest producer of illicit opium in the world, 
but it still uses less than 10 per cent of its fertile land, Byrd noted.

"You could have a full-scale licensed production and you'll have just 
as much unlicensed illicit drugs."

Earlier this week, the United Nation's Office of Drugs and Crime 
reported that Afghanistan's illicit poppy crop has increased by 59 
per cent, and is now the source of 92 per cent of the world's heroin.
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MAP posted-by: Beth Wehrman