A New Approach for Afghanistan

Pakistan's Daily Times here discusses a report from the German Spiegel that NATO governments are finally debating the legalisation of the Afghan opium trade which has so far flourished under attempts to prohibit it. The Taliban insurgency has drawn strength and popularity from Western attempts to eradicate this profitable crop and Western governments and NATO command are to be congratulated for belatedly debating their counter-productive eradication policies. Apparently critics of the legalisation plan fear that venal politicians who currently accept backhanders from the drug barons would only increase their income with legalisation although no reason is given as to why opium producers of sound mind would continue to pay politicians at all under legalisation.