September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

KABUL, Sept 3: The Afghan government said on Monday it had asked international military forces based here to clear Taliban-led insurgents from opium-growing areas before Afghan troops move in to destroy poppy crops.

The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) made a similar call last month when it released a survey which showed that Afghanistan’s opium production had shot up by a third over the past year to a record high.

Afghanistan’s poorly armed police force cannot reach certain insurgency-plagued areas in the volatile south to eradicate poppy fields, interior ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said.

“For a new plan for this year, we’ve requested that the foreign military forces go and conduct military operations to enable us to eradicate poppy crops,” Bashary said.

“In areas where there’s insecurity, we need strong military support to be able to eradicate poppy fields. Police can’t eradicate poppies and fight insurgents at the same time,” he said.Opium cultivation is highest in the areas controlled by Taliban and officials say the drug is financing some of the violence.—AFP