“But because no other crop came even close to the value of poppies, we needed the threat of eradication to force farmers to accept less-lucrative alternatives. (Eradication was an essential component of successful anti-poppy efforts in Guatemala, Southeast Asia and Pakistan.) But Karzai had long opposed aerial eradication, saying it would be misunderstood as some sort of poison coming from the sky. He claimed to fear that aerial eradication would result in an uprising that would cause him to lose power.”
• How can we effectively limit the production of drugs when the countries they are grown in do not cooperate?
• Should U.S. policy emphasize stopping production in other countries over reducing demand in the U.S.?
• Should the U.S. assist with crop substitution?