[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 26 (Monday, February 12, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H1450-H1451]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    OPIUM TRAFFICKING IN AFGHANISTAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, as this body plans to debate tomorrow the 
ongoing war in Iraq, I come to the floor this evening to discuss what I 
feel is the forgotten war, the United States' war on terror in 
Afghanistan.
  I have stressed on numerous occasions the importance of the United 
States not losing sight of the real front in the war on terror in 
Afghanistan. Too often, the Bush administration has placed all of its 
efforts into fighting the war in Iraq while the Taliban and al Qaeda 
increased their presence in Afghanistan and western Pakistan.
  It was promising to see Secretary of State Robert Gates visit 
Pakistan this weekend to meet with Pakistani President Musharraf. 
Unfortunately, Secretary Gates stated that the meeting was, and I 
quote, not aimed at securing the assurance of action from Pakistan. As 
I have stated before, assurances of action are exactly what the United 
States must demand from Pakistan at this time.
  President Musharraf has acknowledged that his country's Frontier 
Guards have allowed insurgents to pass freely at the border shared by 
Afghanistan and Pakistan. If the Pakistani President is fully aware of 
Taliban insurgents crossing the border, why is he not taking the 
necessary steps to bring an end to these violations?
  Mr. Speaker, in Afghanistan the Taliban seems to be ramping up its 
efforts and possibly planning a spring offensive. Last week in a speech 
on the House floor, I mentioned a town in southern Afghanistan, Musa 
Qala, which has been overrun by forces despite a peace deal brokered 
between local leaders and NATO-led forces. This deal called for the 
local leaders to take control of the town and ensure that Taliban 
fighters not create a stronghold in the area.
  Unfortunately, these deals failed, and this week it has been reported 
that roughly 1,500 families have fled Musa Qala and, as an anonymous 
Taliban commander has claimed, there are thousands of Taliban in the 
region preparing for a possible attack by United States or NATO forces.
  Now, it is extremely important for the United States to step up its 
efforts in this deteriorating country. Of particular significance is 
the alarming rate at which the opium trade is growing in Afghanistan. 
According to the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, opium poppy production 
reached a record 6,100 metric tons last year, and this is 49 percent 
greater than the total in 2005.
  Corruption is rampant within the opium trade, and the Taliban not 
only profit by selling and trading the opium, but also through 
providing protection to opium farmers and traders. Corruption is so 
pervasive that police chief posts in poppy-growing districts are 
auctioned off for as much as $100,000 for a 6-month appointment.
  While these police chiefs will only make $60 a month, they know the 
kickbacks they will receive from working with the opium farmers and the 
Taliban will be extremely financially rewarding. Now, some claim that 
the U.S. and NATO should simply fly over Afghanistan and spray 
chemicals over all the opium fields to destroy the crops; but not only 
will this cause environmental and health damage, but it will also raise 
the price of opium and drive farmers towards the Taliban insurgents.
  What the U.S. should do instead is use the additional aid that it 
plans to send to Afghanistan this year to bolster rural development in 
poppy-growing areas. This money must also be used to create new rural 
industries so the farmers will have options other than growing poppy 
and participating in the illicit opium trade.
  The main goal of U.S. efforts to eradicate the illicit opium trade 
should

[[Page H1451]]

be to target illegal drug traffickers and corrupt officials such as 
police chiefs. Our government must couple this with aid to the rural 
poor in Afghanistan in order to provide financial alternatives to the 
illicit opium trade.
  Mr. Speaker, as my colleagues and I debate the merits of the 
President's plan to escalate the war in Iraq, which I oppose, it is 
important for us not to forget where the real war on terror continues 
today in Afghanistan. The United States must intensify its 
redevelopment efforts in Afghanistan as an alternative to the opium 
trade, which is only providing further financial backing for the 
Taliban-led insurgency.

                          ____________________