From the RIA Novosti article:
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' Ivanov said approximately 65% of Afghanistan's opium crops are grown in the Helmand Province, one of the most volatile regions in the country, adding that farmers make "around $70 a year by cultivating opium, much more than for growing wheat." '
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I knew the farmers made very little, of course, but it is amazing to see how little.
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"An estimated 90 percent of heroin consumed in Russia is trafficked from Afghanistan via Tajikistan and Uzbekistan."
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I understand why Russia wants to be involved, but it seems like a very sharp two edged sword for ISAF/NATO/DEA efforts. An example of the strategic shift of the war, and the US efforts to mend relations with Russia.