[Letters] Afghan drug trade and terrorism

The United States has recently altered its policy of dealing with Afghanistan’s drug trade by adding drug traffickers to the “kill or capture” list. The primary reason for such a shift is because Afghanistan is responsible for producing 90 percent of the world’s heroin. It is predicted that the majority of those drug traffickers are involved with the insurgency, or more specifically, funding the Taliban.

Many are criticizing the U.S. for this new policy, saying that drug traffickers are not traditional military targets. Still, the U.S. states that the issue is capturing terrorists with links to the drug trade, not targeting drug traffickers with links to terrorism.

I agree with the altered policy of the U.S., considering the fact that a great number of Afghanistan’s drug traffickers have been either alleged or convicted of terrorism. Not only have their drug trades led to social chaos in the country, but they also have been contributing to the growth of the Taliban. Drug trade in Afghanistan is not just about the “drug” issue, but also the “peace” issue.

The Taliban has been a threat to world peace ever since they began abducting foreigners and executing bomb attacks. Since the drug trade is very profitable, the funds the trade provides to Taliban are great. Such funds will only let the Taliban grow stronger. For the sake of innocent people and a peaceful environment, drug traffickers of Afghanistan must be dealt with harshly.

Chung Eun-jee, Gangnam, Seoul