According to readersupportednews.org, America's War on Drugs is being combined with it's War on Terror. The U.S. Led offensive in the Helmand province of southern Afghanistan will not only be a fight against the local Taliban, but all against the narcotics trade which is backed by insurgents. This particular region of Afghanistan is responsible for over half of the worlds opium supply and with opium becoming ever more potent due to global warming, business is good for the residents of Helmand.
According to residents, the Taliban, allied with local Drug Lords, force the locals to grow poppy plants for their opium trade. "Most of the population are forced by the smugglers and the Taliban to grow poppy... The Taliban pressure people to grow only poppy." Said Juma Gul, the tribal leader from a town called Marjah.
If this operation is succesful in convincing the local residents to stand up to the Taliban and drug smugglers and grow something other than poppy then it could be a huge win for the US. It would cut off a significant portion of the Taliban's income and more or less cripple them in the area. The only problem is who are the locals going to listen too? They fear these Taliban and Drug Lords and with good reason.
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