Afghan Official Urges Aerial Spraying Of Opium Poppies
September 02, 2007
Afghan farmer with poppy buds east of Kabul in April 2007 (epa)
Ahmad Zia Mas'ud made the call in a commentary in Britain's "Sunday Telegraph" newspaper.
He said poppies have spread like "cancer" in Helmand Province, where British forces are based.
The United Nations said last week that there has been a 17 percent increase this year in the amount of Afghan land used for growing opium poppies.
Taliban Site Hit
The U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan says Afghan and international forces have destroyed a Taliban headquarters southwest of Kandahar city, killing some 25 militants.
The site was believed to have provided a base for frequent attacks on a highway that links Kandahar with the western city of Herat.
The coalition said the operation was based on intelligence reports that insurgents were trying to regain control after being defeated there last year.
On September 1, the coalition reported that some 70 Taliban militants had been killed in three separate clashes in Helmand, Nuristan, and Ghazni provinces.
(AP, Reuters)