Iran Nuclear: Drugs As Weapon Against Europe

[Abrad]

www.adnki.com
Tehran, 2 June (AKI) - Iran could favour drug trafficking towards European countries in retaliation for UN sanctions over Tehran's nuclear programme, Iran's chief prosecutor Ghorban Ali Dari Najafabadi told conservative daily Resalat on Friday. Other leading members of Iran's establishment have hinted that drugs could be used as a weapon against Europe.

"Should Europe continue to defy the Islamic Republic, Iran could favour drug trafficking towards Europe, obviously not through its territory, but for example by sea," said the chief prosecutor, quoted by Resalat.

Najafabadi was referring to a package of incentives and penalties drafted by European countries to convince Iran give up its nuclear programme, which world powers fear is aimed at building nuclear weapons. Iran risks UN sanctions if it refuses the deal in the coming weeks.

A few days earlier, online newspaper Roozonline quoted Iranian drug-control chief Fada-Hussein Maleki as claiming that Tehran "could remove all current obstacles on drug trafficking from Afghanistan towards Europe and inundate the West with drugs."

Despite the leaders' statements, authorities in Iran have reportedly been unable to stem the flow of drugs across the border from Afghanistan, despite a desperate battle.

[Forthesevenlakes]

while SWIM doesnt condone the situation arising in Iran right now, and thinks that western nations could handle Iran's quest for nuclear power far better than they are currently doing (especially the U.S., who SWIM fears may try to start a war with a country who is militarily much more powerful than iraq or afghanistan), the solution seems pretty obvious...if drugs were legalized, this threat would be completely negated. illegal drugs flowing in past iran wouldnt make any difference, since there wouldnt be any profit to be had in their trafficking.

[StigmataLectron]

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

Sereously, though, how does Iran expect to smuggle drugs up there when they're telling everyone about it? Aren't the concerned border patrol going to make a special note to search those from Iran, or am I misunderstanding? Or is Europe less like Amerika than I thought?

[Myzrael]

LOL , SWIM thinks this is good news! Makes the prices go down haha....
But seriously how on earth are they going to use it as a weapon? That's doesn't make any sense. Just making it available doesn't get anyone into drugs...SWIM also tells people if they want some and most of the time they say no because they are not interested. So SWIM doesn't see how this would affect Europe...

[Alfa]

It is political pressure. If such action would lead to a flood of opium to Europe, opiates would indeed be everywhere for a very low price. This would make it more accesable and increase use. However, it could reduce petty crime though. Personally I say they can keep the shit as overall it brings more damage than good. In SWIM's opinion, The Dutch should return the favour though as they sure could use some love drugs in Iran.
But seriously now, heroin use is a big problem in Iran. I highly doubt that Iran will open up to a flood of heroin and get swamped with the stuff themselves.

[enquirewithin]

From anecdotes of travellers, opium is very freely available in Iran but hashish is not. I'm not sure how much difference Iran allowing heroin to cross its borders would make. The US has done the heroin trade a huge favour by its disastrous invasion of Afghanistan, where production is up to its pre-Taleban levels again. Whilst prohibtion keeps prices high, there will always be a route.

Opium/ heroin has been used as a politcial weapon many times.The British used it to the British to empty China's coffers of silver in the C19 and addict a substantial percentage of Guangdong to opium. The opium trade virtually detryed an already corrupt Qing dynasty. The Japanese used heroin against China in the 40s, both to make money and to demoralise the local population.

But as Alfa says, 'they can keep the shit' as far as I am concerned as well.