The sincerity of the government's counternarcotics efforts

* washingtontimes:

"Afghanistan is about to produce another bumper crop of opium, and narcotics specialists predict another major increase over last year's 60 percent rise in poppy cultivation. The number of Afghans involved in the illicit trade, either as farmers or dealers, rose last year from 2 million to nearly 3 million people, according to State Department figures released this month."

and buried deep in the story:

"The sincerity of the government's counternarcotics efforts is also in question. Basic economics dictates that a limited amount of eradication and interdiction helps keep the supply in line with international demand, boosting prices, said one Western diplomat in Kabul."

no shit. (apart from the dubious economics theory)