Senators: Without US aid, Afghanistan turns into narco-state

Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) released a bipartisan report Tuesday that aims to fight the Afghanistan drug trade.

“The Afghan drug trade funds the Taliban, fuels corruption and creates major public health challenges,” Feinstein said Tuesday. “Afghanistan could become a narco-state without an effective, comprehensive and coordinated counternarcotics strategy, coupled with unprecedented levels of international cooperation. 

{mosads}“If we don’t act, Afghanistan’s drug trade could undermine hard won gains and U.S. investments and threaten the safety of the citizens of Afghanistan and neighboring countries.”

Grassley and Feinstein co-chair the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and said their report is needed to help Congress coordinate with the administration.

“Our report outlines the critical need for the Obama administration to put plans in place now to support continuing counternarcotics efforts without the current level of security provided by the United States,” Grassley said. “The administration should provide Congress with a comprehensive, multi-agency, workable strategy before any more gains made over the past 13 years are lost.”

Their report also called on other countries to help Afghanistan transition to other, legal industries. Afghan farmers grow large amounts of poppy, which is used to produce opioids such as heroin.