Fungus hits Afghan Opium crop

[Setzer]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8679203.stm

A serious disease is affecting opium poppies in Afghanistan, Antonio Maria Costa, the head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has said.
Mr Costa told the BBC that this year's opium production could be reduced by a quarter, compared to last year's yield.
He said the disease - a fungus - is thought to have infected about half of the country's poppy crop. Afghanistan produces 92% of the world's opium.
Mr Costa said opium prices had gone up by around 50% in the region.
That could have an impact on revenues for insurgent groups like the Taliban which have large stockpiles of opium, he added.
Mr Costa told the BBC that the disease was affecting poppies in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar, the heartland of opium cultivation and the insurgency in Afghanistan.
He said some local farmers believed that Nato troops were responsible for the outbreak, but he said such fungi occur naturally every few years.
"I don't see any reasons to believe something of that sort. Opium plants have been affected in Afghanistan on a periodic basis," Mr Costa said.
Four years ago there was a similar infestation.
"As the farmers would be tempted because of their loss of income to join the insurgency, I don't see any reasons why the coalition would be acting in a way that would be so unpopular and so treacherous for the conduct of the conflict," he said.

Even if this isn't an attempt to hobble the Taliban with lost drug money, does anyone think that might be a good idea? Biological warfare targeted at cash crops is a novel way to hurt a war effort without causing massive death.

[Stark]

It'll just cause massive poverty instead?

[Shroom Man 777]

They don't have to be mutually exclusive. Depriving the Taliban of monies is a good thing, while making the average Afghani even poorer really isn't important.

[Stark]

Except insofar as they die or become more radical, I guess.

[Lusankya]

I thought we were in Afghanistan to bring them freedom, and not to help them make money when they could just work harder and earn it themselves.

Or did George Bush and John Howard lie to me?

[Lord of the Abyss]

Even if this isn't an attempt to hobble the Taliban with lost drug money, does anyone think that might be a good idea? Biological warfare targeted at cash crops is a novel way to hurt a war effort without causing massive death.

A bad idea, considering the excellent chance that you'll end up spreading disease among plants you don't want to destroy. Not to mention that as said you are likely to generate a great many people who hate your guts who may have been simply indifferent before. Destitute people with nothing to lose by strapping on explosives and blowing themselves up next to some Americans; dead of starvation or dead in an explosion are both dead.

[adam_grif]

Even if this isn't an attempt to hobble the Taliban with lost drug money, does anyone think that might be a good idea? Biological warfare targeted at cash crops is a novel way to hurt a war effort without causing massive death.

I think it's a really great idea. You can start with Cane Toads then work your way up to even more invasive and aggressive things from there.

[Stark]

Rabbits eat opium, right?

[Shroom Man 777]

Except insofar as they die or become more radical, I guess.

Then more radical they get, and the more reason we have to stay there and kill them and the more we have to pay for more bullets and stealth fighters and future weapons to kill them with and the more soldiers we have to send there? Great!

[Kanastrous]

Even if this isn't an attempt to hobble the Taliban with lost drug money, does anyone think that might be a good idea? Biological warfare targeted at cash crops is a novel way to hurt a war effort without causing massive death.

I think it's a really great idea. You can start with Cane Toads then work your way up to even more invasive and aggressive things from there.

Carpet bomb the country with Cane Toads from medium altitude. Heck, the little bastards can survive just about anything, wouldn't even need to fit them with little parachutes...

...reminds me of the Paraquat business from the 1970s. Looking at then-and-now that didn't really seem to have much effect. Trying to use a bio-agent to eradicate the poppies doesn't seem very different in basic principle.

[Ryan Thunder]

"Carpet bomb the country with Cane Toads from medium altitude." - Kanastrous

May I sig?

[Molyneux]

Even if this isn't an attempt to hobble the Taliban with lost drug money, does anyone think that might be a good idea? Biological warfare targeted at cash crops is a novel way to hurt a war effort without causing massive death.

I think it's a really great idea. You can start with Cane Toads then work your way up to even more invasive and aggressive things from there.

Carpet bomb the country with Cane Toads from medium altitude. Heck, the little bastards can survive just about anything, wouldn't even need to fit them with little parachutes...

...reminds me of the Paraquat business from the 1970s. Looking at then-and-now that didn't really seem to have much effect. Trying to use a bio-agent to eradicate the poppies doesn't seem very different in basic principle.

That would be a horrible, awful, no-good very bad idea...but the mental image is comedy gold.
*croak*SPLAT*croak*SPLAT*croakcroak*SPLAT...

[Kanastrous]

"Carpet bomb the country with Cane Toads from medium altitude." - Kanastrous

May I sig?

If you like, sure.

*croak*SPLAT*croak*SPLAT*croakcroak*SPLAT...

Great. Just shot tea all over my keyboard. I'm sending you the bill.

[Thanas]

Less spam in this thread, all of you.

[SAMAS]

Rabbits eat opium, right?

Hey, they could even eat (or perhaps, farm) the rabbits afterwards.

Of course, the EPA would pitch a fit, but...