DRUGS AND THE FUTURE OF AFGHANISTAN:

Financial Times (London), Asia edition, 11 Oct., reports on narco-trade in Central Asia under the headline, " Pakistan sees rise in flow of Afghan narcotics." It notes, "Afghanistan receives $US 3.1 billion in annual revenue from opiates. Of that, $US 600 million is estimated to go to farmers while $US 2.5 billion goes to traffickers, often outside the country. Some of that money makes its way back in the form of smuggled goods, such as home appliances. Direct involvement in the drugs trade allows the Taliban to pay its fighters $US 8-10 a day, about 10 times what they could earn from legal activity."

The article concludes with the following: "Hamid Karzai, the Afghan president, has warned that either Afghanistan destroys its opium or opium will destroy Afghanistan." ANYONE WILLING TO TAKE BETS ON THE OUTCOME?