US at odds with UN over scale of Afghan opium production decline

[Nambe]

Source: AP

U.S. and U.N. experts agree that Afghanistan will harvest fewer poppy plants bound for the drug trade in 2008 after two years of record crops. But they have radically different estimates about what that decline will mean for opium production.

In a report obtained by The Associated Press ahead of its planned release Friday, the Bush administration claims that production of the heroin precursor will plunge by 31 percent, from 8,800 tons in 2007 to 6,100 tons this year. That's more than five times the drop in production predicted by the United Nations in late August.

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy maintains its estimate is accurate. Director John Walters says the U.N. report may contain "methodological anomalies" related to on-the-ground surveys of poppy fields and stocks and not factor the effect of poor weather into its production estimate. ...

Read more: http://kezi.com/news/national/57453

[SpiralHawk]

1. "Just say YO. Smirk." - Commander AWOL & republicon 'family values' cronies

[Gillian]

2. Why tons? Only a republican would measure drugs in tons.

8,800,000 kilos. Now I get it. Maybe Rush likes to dream in tons.

[Tempest]

3. My money is on the U.N.'s estimate

For the last 8 years the Bush administration has been greatly inflating their figures on all subjects.