British troops will hunt down heroin drug barons and their opium-processing laboratories in Afghanistan for the first time in a new strategy designed to sever the flow of drugs money to the Taleban.
The new strategy represents a change in operations for the 50,000 international troops serving in Afghanistan, which produces 90 per cent of the world’s heroin.
Until now, the job of tackling the heroin industry had been left to the Afghan counter-narcotics police. American commanders have successfully lobbied their Nato allies to take on the drug barons amid clear evidence that the Taleban have been raking off about 10 per cent of the drug-trafficking profits to buy arms and to fuel the insurgency.
For the first time in the Nato campaign in Afghanistan, alliance defence ministers agreed that troops should take on the additional responsibility. A Nato spokesman said that individual governments would have to authorise any action by their troops to pursue “facilities and facilitators” of the drugs trade. The military counter-narcotics role was agreed in principle by defence ministers at a meeting in Budapest, the Hungarian capital.
After doubts were raised by Germany, Spain, Italy, Poland, Romania and Greece, the defence ministers also agreed that the new role for International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) troops should be temporary until the Afghan security forces had acquired sufficient capability to take over the responsibility.
Britain and other Nato countries have been reluctant to take military action against the poppy farmers – the first stage in the opium trail - because of the perceived hostility it would cause among Afghans struggling to make a living. With no easy alternative livelihood for many farmers, there has been no enthusiasm in Isaf to get involved in a widespread eradication programme.
Yesterday’s decision followed a direct appeal by General John Craddock, the American Supreme Allied Commander Europe, who dismissed concerns that Isaf involvement in attacking the drug barons would make life more dangerous for Nato troops. He said that there was nothing more dangerous than being blown up by roadside bombs and landmines.
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