Karzai declares drug 'jihad'

2004-04-06 13:46

Kabul - Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Tuesday called for a 'jihad', or holy war, against the country's growing narcotics trade, saying the drug industry threatened the stability of the government.

In his first press conference since returning to Kabul following an aid meeting in Berlin, at which donors pledged $8.2bn to help rebuild the war-shattered nation, Karzai called on tribal elders to struggle against the narcotics trade.

"Narcotics is one of the things which threatens our dignity, our economy, our agriculture. It threatens our government and our roots - and it is against our religion," he said.

"Narcotics are very bad for Afghanistan's name, and the profits go to the mafia," Karzai said, adding that his administration would attempt to combat the problem, whether it received international assistance or not.

"This is a widespread jihad which covers the entire country."

Heroin

Afghanistan is the world's biggest producer of opium, used to make heroin, and according to UN reports, this year's poppy crop is expected to be the largest ever.

Karzai admitted that Afghanistan had made mistakes in combatting drugs in the past and now had to increase its efforts to remove the scourge.

"We have made some mistakes," he said, saying that a plan to pay farmers, whose poppy crops were destroyed by government officials, had only encouraged people to plant the lucrative poppy.

"That cash encouraged farmers to cultivate poppy this year," he said. "The farmers said: 'If the government destroys our land, it will pay money and if it doesn't destroy the land you have your poppy field'."

Karzai praised the Berlin meeting, at which donors pledged more than $4bn for this financial year and $8.2bn over the next three as a "great success".

"We thank the world for their kind donations for Afghanistan," he said.

However, in accepting this money, Afghanistan also accepted responsibilities - these included eradicating the narcotics industry, removing weapons from irresponsible groups or warlords, and using the world's donations responsibly and transparently, he said.

"I don't see any other problem in Afghanistan but misuse of guns by irresponsible groups and bad opium cultivation. For the future of Afghanistan ... struggle against these two phenomenon is very necessary."

- AFP