KABUL - The anti-drug war in Afghanistan has made some achievements this year as 27,000 hectares of poppy was destroyed, but it remains a daunting task to eradicate opium in this country amid rising Taliban insurgency, a top Afghan anti- drug official said Wednesday.

"We eradicated 27,000 hectares of poppy this year, compared to 13,000 ha last year," Deputy Interior Minister Gen. Mohammad Daud Daud told Xinhua in an exclusive interview. "This year 17 provinces in Afghanistan are free from opium cultivation, while there were only six last year." Afghan law enforcement agencies burned 10.5 tons of drugs including heroin, opium, hashish over the past two days, which showed this country's determination to eradicate drugs, said Daud, who is responsible for counter narcotics.

However, despite the efforts made by the Afghan government, it is widely expected that opium production would continue to increase this year in this drug-plagued country as opium cultivation is estimated to reach over 180,000 ha, compared to 170, 000 ha last year. In 2006, opium production in Afghanistan reached 6,100 tons, witnessing a sharp 49 percent rise over 2005 and accounting for 92 percent of the world's total supply, according to the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Afghan government has been severely criticized by the international community, especially Western countries, for its failure to curb the booming opium industry. Afghan officials have vowed to take any means possible to fight narcotics.

"This year, most of the poppy-planting provinces would have a decrease in opium production, which, however, is expected to increase in Helmand, Uruzgan and Nangahar," Daud said, adding the rise in the three provinces probably would offset successes in other regions. Daud said rising Taliban insurgency has fueled opium production as Taliban militants now are closely linked with drug-trafficking groups, indicating the Taliban is providing security for opium planters and drug traffickers, who are handing in cash to the extremist group. He cited Helmand province, an outstanding Taliban stronghold, as an example, saying opium production there would continue to rise this year although it had accounted for 42 percent of the world's total production in 2006. Daud admitted poverty, official corruption also contributed to the rocketing opium cultivation in this country.

The top anti-drug official also said Nimroz, Helmand and Farah provinces in southern and western Afghanistan have been the main routes for drug trafficking as an estimated 75 percent of Afghan drugs are transferred through those areas to neighboring Iran and Pakistan, then to Asia, Europe and other regions.

The borders in those provinces are nearly open to drug traffickers as Afghan border police there are severely insufficient, he added. It apparently is a dangerous and daunting task to fight drug in a country like Afghanistan, as 17 policemen were killed and 34 others injured this year when they were carrying out anti-poppy campaigns.

Daud emphasized Taliban insurgency is the most serious problem for this country nowadays, which also fans the flying opium cultivation. "Only after we succeed in eradicating the Taliban, we can succeed in eradicating drugs," Daud said. "I don't know how many years it would take to eliminate Taliban rebels. (Xinhua)