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Karzai blames west for afghan poppies { May 23 2005 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505230145may23,1,5197991.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0505230145may23,1,5197991.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed Karzai denies anti-opium effort lacking Says West has lagged on delivering aid By Steven R. Weisman New York Times News Service Published May 23, 2005 WASHINGTON -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai rejected criticism of his efforts against opium poppy growers, saying Sunday that the government has worked hard to eradicate poppy fields. He blamed Western countries for a lack of support. The criticism came in a State Department memorandum reported Sunday in The New York Times. The memo attributed the lagging poppy-eradication effort to a reluctance on the part of Karzai and others in the Kabul government to take on powerful warlords in Kandahar province and elsewhere. But Karzai said the criticism was part of an effort to shift blame from the United States, Britain and others that have failed to deliver economic aid. "We are going to have probably all over the country at least 30 percent poppies reduced," Karzai said from Boston on CNN's "Late Edition" program. "So we have done our job. The Afghan people have done their job. Now the international community must come and provide alternative livelihood to the Afghan people, which they have not done so far. "Let us stop this blame game," he added. The Afghan leader spoke on the first day of his visit to the United States; he will meet with President Bush on Monday and have talks with congressional leaders later this week. The State Department memorandum, which was sent by the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, said Karzai failed to exercise "strong leadership" by taking on local leaders involved in opium poppy production. Afghanistan is the world's biggest source of poppies used to make heroin, drug experts say. On a separate matter, relating to articles in The New York Times that have detailed the deaths of two Afghan men in a U.S. military prison in Bagram in late 2002, Karzai said the reports reinforced Afghanistan's determination to take over the detention of Afghan citizens in American custody. Karzai made similar statements before leaving Kabul, and he is expected to raise the matter in his meeting with Bush. Karzai said he would press the United States not only to turn over Afghan prisoners but also to do more to consult with Afghan authorities before raiding homes and villages to look for insurgents. It made sense, he said, for the United States to be in charge of prisoners and military actions after the ouster of the Taliban. "Now we are in a different phase of this struggle," Karzai added. "The Afghan people now feel that they own . . . Afghanistan." Copyright © 2005, Chicago Tribune

Afghan drug trade Afghan heroin is flooding to the united states { January 1 2007 } Afghan military tied to drug trade { September 4 2003 } Afghan opium 2005 threat to world stability Afghan poppies sprout again { November 10 2003 } Afghan poppy profits going to taliban { April 2007 } Afghanistan soaring drug trade hits home { March 13 2008 } Afghistan opium 2007 reaches record levels { March 5 2007 } Britain losing afghan opium war Bumper year for afghan poppies { July 24 2003 } Fatal clash with tribes poppies { May 2 2003 } General sees drugs link with alqaeda Karzai blames west for afghan poppies { May 23 2005 } Massive post war Officials say poppies undermine democracy { April 2 2004 } Opium crop prices soar Opium dealers blamed for attack on afghan vp Opium freedom Opium funding 40perc of taliban { October 18 2007 } Opium harvest record level in afghanistan { September 3 2006 } Opium msnbc Poppies poised comback { November 23 2001 } Poppy farms rebound { November 23 2001 } Poppy planting Terror link to booming afghan drugs trade { April 3 2004 } Un warns opium production spreading like cancer { October 30 2003 } US arrests afghan heroin baron bashir noorzai { April 25 2005 } Us soldiers becoming drug addicts US soldiers in afghanistan using heroin Files Listed: 29

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