Eradication of poppies 'will spark retribution'
British soldiers in Afghanistan have been warned to expect a fierce Taleban backlash from renewed efforts to quash the narcotics trade.
The new governor of Helmand province insisted yes- terday that he would force through plans to eradicate poppy fields, despite fears that it could jeopardise Western efforts to win the support of the Afghan people. It will create some problems, but we have to do it, Assadullah Wafa told The Times in his first interview with a foreign newspaper.
British officials fear that spraying will alienate impoverished smallholders and push their communities into Taleban control. And while Mr Wafa warned British commanders that a violent response was inevitable he revealed plans to open talks with the Taleban to try to negotiate peace.
Mr Wafa said: I want to promote tribal elders. For decades they have been kept out of local government, but they are the only people who can bring peace and stability. Through them I am going to invite the Taleban to come and take part in the peace process. The Taleban . . . are from the communities and so they trust their community leaders. We are relying on those leaders.
One military source said of the new governor: He knows how to reach people and he can make them understand that its their fight. He understands there are good Taleban and bad Taleban. He wants to engage with the good ones, who are prepared to negotiate.
Afghanistan produced 92 per cent of the worlds opium last year, largely because of a 162 per cent leap in cultivation in Helmand, according to the United Nations.
