(AbsoluteNews.com) – On April 3, Taliban Supreme Leader Haibatullah Akhundzada issued an order banning the cultivation of poppy. The plant produces opium which is used in the manufacturing of several narcotics. America is now praising the Taliban for its bold decision.
On April 4, US Chargé d’Affaires for Afghanistan Ian McCary praised the Afghan government’s ban on poppy plants. He called it a “positive first step” toward creating a healthy agricultural industry in the country. However, he stressed enforcing the ban is going to be the key to its success.
Outlawing the production of narcotics in Afghanistan is a positive first step but enforcement will be key. Having a healthy and licit agricultural sector will help Afghanistan’s economy and ultimately the Afghan people.
— Chargé d’Affaires Ian McCary (@USAmbKabul) April 4, 2022
The order issued by the supreme leader banning the plant stated the government would destroy the crops immediately and farmers who violate the new law would suffer punishment. The latest ban isn’t the first time the Taliban has prohibited the cultivation of poppy. In the 1990s, when they were in power, they put similar bans into place around the country. According to the Brookings Institute, the Taliban used the ban to try to “obtain international legitimacy” from countries like Iran and Russia. However, every time they would prohibit the cultivation of the plant, they’d have a hard time maintaining the bans.
Perhaps that’s why McCary made the comment about enforcement. Will the ban work this time around? Time will tell.
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