Russia is complaining that the US has not acted on information the top Russian anti-drug official provided about narcotics laboratories in Afghanistan.
Victor Ivanov, the head of Russia’s federal drug control agency, says he provided US officials in Kabul months ago the coordinates of 175 laboratories where heroin is processed. He said US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) officials in Kabul have told him they are awaiting US military approval to take down the labs.
“For some reason they are unable to carry out any operations to destroy these laboratories, because there is a delay from the military side,” Ivanov said through an interpreter on Thursday.
COOPERATION
Ivanov was in Washington for a meeting of a commission on drugs set up by the US and Russian presidents to improve cooperation.
The DEA would not comment, saying it does not confirm or deny information shared by other nations.
Russia has long complained that the failure of US and NATO to implement poppy eradication programs in Afghanistan is contributing to a flood of Afghan heroin into Russia. US officials have argued that destruction of poppy fields would drive Afghan farmers into the arms of the Taliban.
EXPONENTIAL
Russia claims that drug production in Afghanistan has increased exponentially since the US-led invasion that overthrew the Taliban government in 2001. It says smugglers freely transport Afghan heroin and opium north into Central Asia and Russia, and onward to Western Europe. Afghanistan is the world’s largest supplier of opium.
Ivanov has said that Russia has 2 million opium and heroin addicts.
NATO has urged Moscow to contribute to the war effort in Afghanistan by training more counter-narcotics agents and providing helicopters to the Afghan government’s air force.
MAJOR LANDLORDS
Ivanov said he has also suggested going after the major landlords in Afghanistan’s poppy growing region by submitting their names to the UN for sanctions.
“It would not be difficult to trace them,” he said.
Ivanov said he discussed the issue with US special envoy Richard Holbrooke and other officials on Thursday, then left frustrated that they provided no evidence that poppy eradication would strengthen the Taliban.
“It sounded not like constructive discussion but a manifestation of stubbornness,” he said. “I cannot say they are not listening. They are listening very carefully and attentively, but unfortunately, there are no results.”
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