Value for money?

[Deluks]

Cost of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan tops £20bn

So for our money so far, we've sent an old man to the gallows and managed to kill some angry farmers. I can't personally think of anything I'd rather spend 20,000,000,000 on.

 

[lifesagasman]

It's not all bad news.
Opium production hasn't been affected too badly so there's still plenty of heroin to go around.

 

[joe-90]

There are 20,000,000 households in the UK - so how much does that work out per household?

 

[skitzee2k]

..that a trick question? 1k

and opium production is WAY up. The Taliban didn't allow it, and they didn't send you to prison or fine you...they smashed your face in with a rock.

 

[oompah]

and opium production is WAY up. The Taliban didn't allow it, and they didn't send you to prison or fine you...they smashed your face in with a rock.

Any evidence to back this claim up?

 

[joinerjohn]

According to the UN opium poppy production was down in 2009.
Although the Taliban did ban the harvesting and trade in opium, quite often a blind eye was turned to it.
They banned the production of Hashish in Afghanistan, citing the use by Afghani's as the reason. However they later stated that it was ok to grow poppies as it was the Kafir's in the west that used this drug.

 

[skitzee2k]

http://www.fromthewilderness.com/free/ww3/10_10_01_heroin.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/w...s-fuelling-the-taliban-insurgency-817230.html pay particular attention to the line

Opium production has soared since 2001

http://www.opioids.com/afghanistan/prediction.htmlthose are the top three sites when you search heroin and taliban on google.

 

[joinerjohn]

http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/front...opium-production-in-significant--decline.html

This report however is from the UN and categorically states that opium production in 2009 is actually down on previous years.
It may well be higher than in 2001, but you can't compare those two years on their own.