NATO yanks message on opium crops
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization said it had withdrawn a radio message telling Afghan farmers that its troops would not destroy their opium fields, following complaints that the alliance appeared to condone the illicit crop.
The advertisement was paid for by the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and aired on radio stations in Helmand province, the world’s largest opium-producing area.
Although NATO has no role in poppy eradication, “we support the Afghan government in their efforts,” said ISAF spokeswoman Lt. Col. Angela Billings.
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