Tuesday, March 04, 2003

From the BBC:

Afghanistan retakes heroin crown

Afghanistan retook its place as the world's leading producer of heroin last year, after US-led forces overthrew the Taliban which had banned cultivation of opium poppies.

The finding was made in a key drug report, distributed in Kabul on Sunday by the US State Department, which supports almost identical findings by the United Nations last week.

Low-grade heroin is refined in Afghanistan from opium, which is manufactured from the extract of poppies.

"The size of the opium harvest in 2002 makes Afghanistan the world's leading opium producer," the report said....


Well, that puts a whole new spin on this Washington Post headline from last week:

Now, It's Business That Booms: With Bombs Mostly Silenced, Commerce and Confidence Are Growing in Kabul

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