Maintenance window scheduled to begin at February 14th 2200 est. until 0400 est. February 15th

(e.g. yourname@email.com)

Forgot Password?

    Defense Visual Information Distribution Service Logo

    Bomb materials and narcotics seized in Afghanistan bazaar

    HELMAND PROVINCE, AFGHANISTAN

    07.23.2009

    Story by Cpl. Michael Curvin 

    2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade

    HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan — A raid in southern Helmand province yielded homemade explosives, improvised explosive device-making materials and more than 1,600 bags of poppy seeds.

    After collecting the find, Marines from 2nd Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, stacked the narcotics and set them ablaze, dealing a major blow to Taliban forces operating in southern Afghanistan.

    The Marines also discovered poppy fields outside Safaar, and with the help of Marine Aircraft Group 40, Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan, were able to take these valuable crops out of enemy hands.

    The Marines began the raid in the early morning hours of July 19 in the Safaar Bazaar. The streets were quiet when their search began. They expected to find bomb-making materials and drugs, but didn't anticipate such a large haul. In the end, they seized more than 1,600 bags of poppy seeds and an assortment of chemicals used to make homemade explosives.

    The Marines' goals was to upset the Taliban's operations by taking some of the materials they rely on to fight with, interfering with the IED networks and also taking away a source of income, such as the poppy seeds, said Col. Eric Mellinger, the brigade operations officer and native of Old Bridge, N.J. By doing so, he believes the lives of coalition forces and Afghans will be saved.

    "The goal was really to disrupt the Taliban and move them out of the area and allow the people to come back into the bazaar," Mellinger said. "There are plenty of legal sales of food and other things."

    Just two days after seizing the illicit materials from the Safaar Bazaar, it was business as usual. The streets were alive with people going about their daily routine. The Afghans could be seen riding motorcycles, holding conversations and conducting business.

    "Our objective here was to clear this bazaar because they seem to be mainstays for insurgents and illegal activities," said Jay Fitzpatrick, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's assistant regional director for southern and western Afghanistan." Although there is legal activity at the bazaar, every-day business, they do harbor the worst of the worst when it comes to insurgents."

    Insurgents used both the bazaars of Safaar and Lakari to store their narcotics caches, in addition to the ingredients needed to create weapons for use against coalition forces. Fitzpatrick said the Taliban has used these bazaars, due to their location to the Helmand River valley, because it provides insurgents a fertile trail to follow.

    The actions taken by the MEB-Afghanistan Marines, Afghan national police and the DEA will not prevent future poppy crops from being planted, but dealt a blow to the Taliban, Fitzpatrick said. About 300 tons of poppy seeds were seized from both bazaars in the previous two days.

    "More of it came out of Safaar," said Fitzpatrick." Ultimately, 297 tons will populate 18,000 hectares."

    A hectare is equivalent to 2.47 acres. The potential land mass these poppy seeds could have yielded would consume over 40,000 acres.

    "The figures differ, but we say about six to eight percent of the heroin from this region makes it to [U.S.] borders," Fitzpatrick said. "The money derived from narcotics fuels the insurgency's effort, so it's our job to come out here through interdiction to take the money out of the pockets of the insurgents so they're less capable to fund their efforts against us and the world. It is a global problem."

    The process followed by the Taliban starts from farmers raising poppy crops. From there, the harvested poppies are transported to markets in Europe, Iran and Russia. Through local markets, the final product is sold, Fitzpatrick explained.

    "Eventually, the money makes its way back through the chains to Afghanistan, where it's utilized by insurgents to buy arms, buy the homemade explosive devices and chemicals they need," Fitzpatrick said. "It's a process that's been going on for a long time."

    Many Afghan farmers have experienced pressure from the Taliban, as well as a need to grow poppy crops for a source of income. A poppy harvest can be stored for up to one year before going bad, providing the farmer enough time to sell to the highest bidder.

    "It comes down to making a living," Fitzpatrick said. "What's derived from it puts food on the table. Hopefully, we can eventually talk these folks into alternative livelihoods, whether its wheat or pomegranates or different crops like that."

    Many changes are occurring for the Afghans of southern Helmand. One of the biggest changes is government. Mellinger said this area has not been influenced by Afghan government for the past five years.

    "The lower Helmand River valley has not had the ability to have the Afghan government here," Mellinger said. "That's one of the reasons we're doing all of this — creating the situations and conditions that allow government to be reintroduced. That's why the governor is here."

    LEAVE A COMMENT

    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 07.23.2009
    Date Posted: 07.23.2009 05:02
    Story ID: 36697
    Location: HELMAND PROVINCE, AF

    Web Views: 866
    Downloads: 765

    PUBLIC DOMAIN