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Plan Afghanistan

Feb 3 2005

In November 2004 an unknown mystery plane sprayed opium poppy fields in eastern Afghanistan. Although the US denied any involvement, the US State Department is pressing for aggressive aerial eradiction campaigns to counter the booming opium economy. Due to policy controversies the State Department had to back off. At least for the time being.

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Note: The spraying in November 2004 was a so-called "dry run". U.S.-contracted aircraft secretly sprayed harmless plastic granules over poppy fields in Afghanistan to gauge public reaction to using herbicides to kill the opium poppies, according to an article in The Seattle Times (Outcry against poisoning Afghanistan poppies, The Seattle Times, October 26, 2007)

Series: 
Drug Policy Briefing 10

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