What of the argument that people grow poppies because of poverty?
It is the prosperous provinces in the South which are growing poppies. There is a link between drugs and terrorism, drugs and drug-trafficking, drugs and corruption, drugs and insurgency and drugs and poverty. So why was the message you sent out not effective in the South? We have a strong message. We went by air and by road to the fields, talked to the Ulema – the elders, and the mujahideen, old and new. We were sending a very strong message. Some people listen very well. The Good Performance Initiative fund impacted a lot. Khodaidad says the number of Afghan addicts is increasing You mention the Good Performance Initiative but the amount of money available is very small compared to the direct bilateral aid being given by donors to the poppy growing provinces – Canadians in Kandahar, the British in Helmand and the US in several provinces of the South. How does this impact of the GPI? I am also worried about the direct work in the provinces. It should be coordinated with the Ministry o
