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Amnesty Weighed for Afghan Drug Smugglers
 Afghan leaders are considering offering amnesty to drug smugglers who get out of the country's booming narcotics industry and invest their profits in national reconstruction, senior officials told The Associated Press. The proposed amnesty could blunt a U.S.-sponsored crackdown on traffickers and opium poppy farmers and raises tough ethical questions for a government also seeking reconciliation with followers of the ousted Taliban regime.Under pressure from the United States and Europe, President Hamid Karzai has declared a "holy war" against the narcotics trade, which has grown rapidly since the Taliban fell three years ago after a U.S.-led invasion. Karzai has said it is his top priority during the five-year term he won in landmark September elections. On Sunday, Karzai's office would not say whether an amnesty was being discussed. But two senior officials told the AP that debate on the proposal had begun. Karzai was "considering the issue," said Haneef Atmar, his rural development minister. "He finds it extremely difficult to bring any kind of amnesty for these people. But as a very responsible leader, he is always looking at all policy options." Posted by: Fred 2005-01-10 |
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