Konar, Afghanistan: 'Almost' Poppy Free

I have found this article, written by Navy Lt. Neil Myers Special to American Forces Press Service, at DVIDSHub. It is amazing to me that we do not hear more of these stories from Afghanistan, but the media wants us to believe this is the forgotten war. Forgotten by who? Not you. Not me. Maybe them? Anyway, who needs them?

The UN has a special office named, "United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime", and apparently they reward people for cleaning up their drug problem. Let's take a look first at what has occurred in past few years. In the years 2006 and 2007, this province was nearly poppy free.

U.N. Agency Declares Afghan Province 'Nearly Poppy-Free'.

During a July 6 trip to the province, Afghanistan's minister for counternarcotics, Gen. Khodaidad, announced that Konar has qualified for two monetary awards totaling $750,000 from the Counternarcotics Trust Fund.

Konar Gov. Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi and his provincial council decided to use $420,000 of that money to upgrade the Konar Teacher Training College with a 60-room dormitory, dining facility and meeting hall. A lack of dormitories requires students of either to commute or to rent local accommodations while attending school.

"This is a great day for Konar and Afghanistan", said Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dwyer, Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander. "When you see the government of Afghanistan, on its own, bringing projects to its people that provide for long-term jobs and economic growth, it shows everyone that progress is well on its way."

This is wonderful. This is good encouragement, by using other methods of working to achieve a good economy, and this is a way to show other provinces how to prosper without growing the poppies that are aiding the Taliban and AQ. Without this money, who knows? They may even have to get a job! LOL. Seriously though.

The governor of this province is not quite sure yet how spend the rest of the money, but he does have some ideas. He would like to build some irrigation canals, improve education, and then possible use the rest for either one big project or many smaller district projects. I vote for the smaller districts, but that's me.

He is very proud of the people in his province, especially the elders, as am I, because he knows this would not be possible without their support and efforts.

"The people of Konar deserve the credit for the poppy eradication," Wahidi said. "All the tribal elders and people of Konar are committed to putting an end to this [poppy] seed, because the smuggling, trafficking and growing of narcotics is forbidden by Islam."

I don't care much for the so-called religion, but I'm grateful to them for stopping the spread of heroin. Good job, you guys. Keep up the good work.

PS. I just want to add something that was not in this story but I know to be true. It was also done with 'a little help' by the US Military. HOOAH!

Source: DVIDS News.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

Cross-posted @ Talon, Rosemary's News and Ideas and Adam's Blog.