Democratic Afghanistan or "Narcotic State"

Afghanistan's largest export: The opium poppy (AP)

One of the things the President did not share in his recent addresses with the American people was the growing problem of Afghanistan's cash crop for export - the opium poppy which is the raw ingredient for the production of heroin.

I have seen some rumblings on the net over the last few months about this subject including the fact that the newly elected democratic government of Afghanistan is not inclined to take drastic steps (burning the fields and/or spraying to kill the crop) to slow the growth of this illegal, but income-producing crop. Production of the opium poppy has tripled since the US invasion to oust the Taliban and represents an estimated 40 - 60% of the total economy of Afghanistan.

A recent report to Congress from Secretary of State Rice describes Afghanistan as being on the verge of becoming a "narcotic state." Not quite the picture of an "emerging democracy" that was portrayed by the President in recent months...at least to my mind.