Photo By Master Sgt. Tracy DeMarco | Two Marine V-22 Ospreys operated by Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 261 out of U.S....... read more read more
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FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan — Gov. Rahool Amin visited one of the top three largest districts in Farah province, Golestan, for the third time and nearly 300 local Afghan men attended the Shura to hear his comments.
"This is my third time here and I have, in the past, spent three days in Golestan," Amin said to the crowd. "The weather is nice, the land is nice; I haven't forgotten Golestan. This district is just like a bride, a beautiful bride," he said.
U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Wayne Bodine, the Marine Expeditionary Brigade liaison officer for the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team arranged the transportation of the 29 person group on two Marine V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. Members of the PRT and six Farah provincial council members travelled to Golestan with the governor.
Upon arrival at Forward Operating Base Golestan, Amin met with Lt. Col. Martin Wetterauer III, the commander of the 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines, to discuss the agenda for the meeting. Amin and his line directors planned to address the people's security concerns, encourage the people to support their Afghan government and highlight some of the economic development projects for Golestan with an emphasis on narcotic crop reduction.
"Security is for the people, it belongs to the people, it's the need of the people," Amin said. "It's just an example of oxygen." He continued by explaining that security is the responsibility of the Afghan government and the right of its people.
Other speakers included Lt. Col. Shukurllah Amanzoy, Farah City Afghan National Police deputy chief and Abdul Ghafar, the Farah City prosecutor.
"In Islam, planting, doing, or exporting drugs, is against Islam," said Ghafar. "Someone caught with 10 grams of drugs will be put in prison for two years and be fined 50K Afghani."
Amin said, "Drugs are the enemy. Why would you invite your enemy into your fields or bring them into your home?"
In an effort to reduce narcotic plant production, the provincial government of Farah province and the PRT initiated the wheat seed distribution system just last month. The program resulted in the successful delivery of 500 metric tons of high quality wheat seed and 500 metric tons of fertilizer throughout the province. Golestan district received 30 metric tons of each.
Concurrently, the Afghanistan Opium Survey for 2009, which was released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, stated that the poppy production in Farah province was reduced by 45 percent last year.
Jumakhah Bashari, the counter narcotics line director for Farah province who also attended the Shura, said that the land in Golestan is quite good and that the people should take advantage of it and plant other agricultural products besides drugs which will increase their individual profits.
"The speeches were from the heart and I believe this was a very good meeting," said Amir Mohammad, the facilitator for the Shura. "People were listening. I noticed how quiet they were sitting and listening to the speech. Over the past three or four years I haven't witnessed a meeting as good as this one," he said.
Following the meeting, Amin handed out radios and winter coats to the villagers in attendance.
| Date Taken: | 01.04.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 01.07.2010 23:47 |
| Story ID: | 43538 |
| Location: | FARAH PROVINCE, AF |
| Web Views: | 350 |
| Downloads: | 257 |
This work, Third time's a charm — PRT escorts Farah Gov. to Golestan, by MSgt Tracy DeMarco, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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