ID :
191272
Mon, 06/27/2011 - 10:21
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/191272
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Ahmadinejad: West Seeking to Defeat Nations through Drug Problem
TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the West for the region's growing narcotics problems, cautioning that the western powers are seeking to defeat the regional nations through intensifying their drug problems.
Addressing a gathering of 20,000 of recovered addicts on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, Ahmadinejad said the West had brought drugs to the region to damage the nations.
"Today, they (Western powers) have begun harming nations, specially the Iranian nation by drugs," he said.
"Since the day they (the West) came (to the region, particularly Afghanistan), the production of some drugs was increased 10-fold, 50-fold, even 100-fold," he said.
"Why have they brought them (to the region)? To damage these nations," he continued.
"Arrogant states masquerade themselves behind the so-called humanitarian masks and they want to stir a sense of inability in the other nations," Ahmadinejad said.
"They put on masks of freedom-seeking, human rights, and protecting people but in fact they are the biggest criminals in the world," he added.
The United Nations credits Iran with the seizure of 89 percent of the opium and 41 percent of the heroine netted around the world.
Iran lies on a transit corridor between opium producing Afghanistan and drug dealers in Europe.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian police have lost more than 3700 of their personnel in the country's combat against narcotics.
Over the past five years, it has contributed more than $50 million annually to Afghan anti-narcotics efforts. Yet, Iranian police officials maintain that drug production in Afghanistan has undergone a 40-fold increase since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
While Afghanistan produced only 185 tons of opium per year under the Taliban, according to the UN statistics, since the US-led invasion, drug production has surged to 3,400 tons annually. In 2007, the opium trade reached an estimated all-time production high of 8,200 tons.
Afghan and western officials blame Washington and NATO for the change, saying that allies have "overlooked" the drug problem since invading the country 10 years ago.
Addressing a gathering of 20,000 of recovered addicts on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking at Tehran's Azadi Stadium, Ahmadinejad said the West had brought drugs to the region to damage the nations.
"Today, they (Western powers) have begun harming nations, specially the Iranian nation by drugs," he said.
"Since the day they (the West) came (to the region, particularly Afghanistan), the production of some drugs was increased 10-fold, 50-fold, even 100-fold," he said.
"Why have they brought them (to the region)? To damage these nations," he continued.
"Arrogant states masquerade themselves behind the so-called humanitarian masks and they want to stir a sense of inability in the other nations," Ahmadinejad said.
"They put on masks of freedom-seeking, human rights, and protecting people but in fact they are the biggest criminals in the world," he added.
The United Nations credits Iran with the seizure of 89 percent of the opium and 41 percent of the heroine netted around the world.
Iran lies on a transit corridor between opium producing Afghanistan and drug dealers in Europe.
Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Iranian police have lost more than 3700 of their personnel in the country's combat against narcotics.
Over the past five years, it has contributed more than $50 million annually to Afghan anti-narcotics efforts. Yet, Iranian police officials maintain that drug production in Afghanistan has undergone a 40-fold increase since the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
While Afghanistan produced only 185 tons of opium per year under the Taliban, according to the UN statistics, since the US-led invasion, drug production has surged to 3,400 tons annually. In 2007, the opium trade reached an estimated all-time production high of 8,200 tons.
Afghan and western officials blame Washington and NATO for the change, saying that allies have "overlooked" the drug problem since invading the country 10 years ago.
