"The military is increasing drug testing of its forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, in part out of concern that troops will turn to drugs because of combat stress, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Drug use is low in the military and primarily limited to marijuana, said Mary Beth Long, deputy assistant defense secretary for counternarcotics. She spoke with the American Forces Press Service, an internal military news service.

"One of the lessons that we have learned from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (late 1970s through late '80s) is that those troops went back to Russia with a drug problem," Long told the news service. "Our forces are obviously very, very different. We certainly have no expectation that they would suffer the same kind of issues."

But the increased stress of serving in combat areas could drive soldiers to readily available drugs, as happened to some during the Vietnam War (http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=121104b1_military_drugtest), officials said."

*

Stick with the hashish, boys.

Afganistan is now back to being the highest heroin producer in the world again. Thanks to us.Afghanistan retakes heroin crown
BBC News

Production has surged since the end of the Taliban regime
Afghanistan retook its place as the world's leading producer of heroin last year, after US-led forces overthrew the Taleban which had banned cultivation of opium poppies.
The finding was made in a key drug report, distributed in Kabul on Sunday by the US State Department, which supports almost identical findings by the United Nations last week.

Low-grade heroin is refined in Afghanistan from opium, which is manufactured from the extract of poppies.

"The size of the opium harvest in 2002 makes Afghanistan the world's leading opium producer," the report said.

The International Narcotics Control Strategy Report said the area of land used to cultivate opium poppies reached 30,750 hectares, compared with 1,685 hectares in 2001.

Afghanistan overtook Burma - whose production fell for the sixth straight year, to 630 tonnes - as the leading opium producer.

The British government is the leading sponsor of the anti-drugs campaign in Afghanistan.

Production has surged since the end of the Taliban

"The US campaign against global terrorism in 2002 highlighted the importance of our international drug control programs," it said.

Despite its own figures showing the Taleban had cut Afghanistan's heroin production by about 95%, the report claimed that heroin had "financed the former Taleban regime".

Yeah, and what else do they produce, Echo? It's their chief export and always has been. What...did you expect their impoverished nation to get into the business of information technologies? They've been knee deep in heroine production for THOUSANDS of years, and you expected Bush's attack to correct this? What a palsified, asinine conclusion, but don't worry...it's in fitting with being generally retarded.

Originally posted by Mr. Shaman
"The military is increasing drug testing

Drug use is low in the military and primarily limited to marijuana,

..those troops went back to Russia with a drug problem," Long told the news service. "Our forces are obviously very, very different. We certainly have no expectation that they would suffer the same kind of issues."

(http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=121104b1_military_drugtest), ."

[/B]

If parallel means that the two situations seem to be different, then that really is some parallel.

Originally posted by The Praetorian
Yeah, and what else do they produce, Echo? It's their chief export and always has been. What...did you expect their impoverished nation to get into the business of information technologies? They've been knee deep in heroine production for THOUSANDS of years, and you expected Bush's attack to correct this? What a palsified, asinine conclusion, but don't worry...it's in fitting with being generally retarded.

Before getting down to your usuall insults and put downs it would have been wise to READ the post. I did not say it was our fault that they are ONCE AGAIN the leaders in heroin export. I said that thanks to us removing the taliban from power Afganistan CAME BACK as the leader in poppy growth and export. The taliban kept a pretty tight control on poppy growth and export. We came in and wiped out the only law enforcement the country had. It wasn't a good one but at least it was better than nothing. If we are going to go around taking out leaders and overthrowing third world countries we should at least help that country get back on it's feet in a positive way rather than leaving them to their own devices.

Originally posted by Echo2
Before getting down to your usuall insults and put downs it would have been wise to READ the post. I did not say it was our fault that they are ONCE AGAIN the leaders in heroin export.
Then explain this brainiac:
Afganistan is now back to being the highest heroin producer in the world again. Thanks to us.
Jesus, it's the first fucking sentence. Please don't make me hold your hand while explaining this concept to you. From now on, I think it would help transparency if you put your conclusions at the end of your cut and pasted articles, where they belong.
Originally posted by Echo2
I said that thanks to us removing the taliban from power Afganistan CAME BACK as the leader in poppy growth and export.
No, that was the conclusion of the US State Department, and if that's what you meant, then try being a little more eloquent in the future...

Originally posted by Mr. Shaman
"The military is increasing drug testing of its forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, in part out of concern that troops will turn to drugs because of combat stress, Pentagon officials said yesterday.

Drug use is low in the military and primarily limited to marijuana, said Mary Beth Long, deputy assistant defense secretary for counternarcotics. She spoke with the American Forces Press Service, an internal military news service.

"One of the lessons that we have learned from the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan (late 1970s through late '80s) is that those troops went back to Russia with a drug problem," Long told the news service. "Our forces are obviously very, very different. We certainly have no expectation that they would suffer the same kind of issues."

But the increased stress of serving in combat areas could drive soldiers to readily available drugs, as happened to some during the Vietnam War (http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/index.php?page=national&story_id=121104b1_military_drugtest), officials said."

*

Stick with the hashish, boys.

Make shure your sources are credible and not biassed.

Originally posted by Assassin
Make shure your sources are credible and not biassed.
Don't hold your breath while waiting for that request to be honored.