Over the last two decades, Iran has been on the front line of the war on drugs. A little known U.N. program has been helping Iran combat the opium trade that funnels drugs through Iran from Afghanistan to Europe. 3500 Iranian law enforcement officers have died over the past twenty years. Just last year, 900 tons of drugs were seized at the Iranian border. Iran's anti-drug stance is one of the few issues the U.S. has praised Iran on.
The Opium trade in Afghanistan is "taxed" by the Taliban to finance its terrorism efforts. Keeping the pressure on the border to stop the opium trade is vital to not only fighting the war on drugs, but the war on terror.
So imagine the shock from some members of the U.N. when the recent round of possible sanctions against Iran for its uranium enrichment program including threatening funding to help fight the drug trade.
This seems to be a classic case of cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. The one thing the U.S., U.N., and Iran have always been able to agree upon was the need to stop the flow of opium out of Afghanistan. Afghanistan produces over 90% of the opium in the world, an enormous cash crop for the Taliban that, if allowed to move without challenge, could have devastating consequences in both the war on drugs and the war on terror.
Now put aside for a moment whether or not you personally think Iran is working toward a nuclear bomb or nuclear energy. Doesn't it seem like the height of hypocrisy to politicize the one area on which everyone agrees, and try to use it as a strong-arm tactic? Do you honestly risk opening the floodgates and allowing more opium to pour into the West (opium which finances terrorists, remember). In our quest to weaken one threat, do we risk giving free reign to another?
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Comments: 11
I do know when I was in Iran long ago, they had a huge problem with drug abuse, and I would see open use of opium almost everywhere; even though the penalty could be death! More than once while shopping in the markets, I would pass a gathering of men where they invited me in to share..... no thanks guys!
All part of the SOP; if it ain't broke, break it.
HOW MANY MORE LIVES HAVE TO BE NEEDLESSLY DEVASTATED OR LOST?
PROHIBITED DRUGS ARE WAY EASIER FOR KIDS TO GET THAN REGULATED DRUGS!
PROHIBITION NEVER WORKS IT JUST CAUSES CRIME & VIOLENCE.
The USA spends $69 billion a year on the drug war, builds 900 new prison beds and hires 150 more correction officers every two weeks, arrests someone on a drug charge every 17 seconds, jails more people than any nation and has killed over 100,000 citizens in the drug war.
In 1914 when there were NO PROHIBITED DRUGS 1.3% of our population was addicted to drugs, TODAY 1.3% of our population is STILL ADDICTED TO DRUGS BUT THERE'S WAY MORE CRIME AND VIOLENCE BECAUSE OF THE HUGE PROFITS PROHIBITION GENERATES. DRUGS TODAY ARE MORE POTENT, MORE READILY AVAILABLE AND LESS EXPENSIVE THAN THEY WERE IN THE EARLY 70'S WHEN RICHARD NIXON STARTED THE WAR ON DRUGS.
Everyone needs to know about "Jury Nullification". You can learn more here: http://fija.org If you are called for jury duty and you don't agree with the law the person is charged with, you have the right to vote NOT GUILTY, NO MATTER WHAT EVIDENCE IS PRODUCED. Jurors implementing this right in ALL NON-VIOLENT drug cases will shut down the ridiculous laws of prohibition. One juror in each case is all it takes. The bottom line is a juror has the RIGHT to JUDGE not only the accused person but the LAW the person is accused of breaking. Don't be intimidated stick to your position.
There's only been one drug success story in history, tobacco, BY FAR THE MOST DEADLY and one of the MOST ADDICTIVE drugs. Almost half the users quit because of REGULATION, ACCURATE INFORMATION AND MEDICAL TREATMENT. No one went to jail and no one got killed.
DEMAND your Constitutional rights. The right; to freedom of religion, free speech, a free press, to keep and bear arms, to be secure in your person, house, papers and effects against unreasonable search and seizure, to life, liberty and property, to be protected from having your property taken by the government without due process of law and without just compensation, to confront the witnesses against you, to be protected from excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel and unusual punishment, to vote and many others have been denied to millions of Americans in the name of the drug war.
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