[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[House]
[Page 4795]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      AFGHANISTAN'S OPIUM PROBLEM

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, America has a drug problem, and I am not 
referring to the war on drugs on our streets. I am referring to the 
booming illegal opium trade in Afghanistan. This is our problem, Mr. 
Speaker, because the huge profits from growing opium in Afghanistan are 
being used against our troops.
  Though illegal, opium production has skyrocketed in Afghanistan in 
recent years, and the results are deadly. Enormous profits often end up 
in the hands of the Taliban and local warlords who use it to buy 
weapons, pay fighters and bribe officials.
  We must adjust our policies if we are to see sustained stability in 
Afghanistan. Eradicating opium must become a priority. We must crack 
down on the drug lords, train local law enforcement, and help build the 
Afghan economy to provide opportunities for making an honest living. 
And we must ask our friends in Afghanistan's government to help us in 
this effort. The safety of our troops depends on it.

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