Rising attacks hamper anti-drugs drive - Afghan official

Drug mafias and suspected Taliban militants have increased attacks against officials trying to destroy poppy fields in Afghanistan, but the 2010 harvest may still fall from the previous year, a government official said.Zalmai Afzali, spokesman for the counter-narcotics ministry, said the provinces where the anti-poppy drive faced disruption mostly included southern and southwestern Afghanistan, where the Taliban are strongest.
The government has been conducting raids against poppy fields in ten provinces, but had to halt the drive in five provinces, largely due to increase in attacks, the official said.
"There were security challenges and attacks and police had to stop the operations," Afzali told a news conference.
The United Nations says Afghanistan remains the world's key source of poppy and in 2008 produced 90 percent of the plant, which is used in making heroin and which officials say is helping the Taliban to fund their war against foreign and Afghan forces.
Afghanistan itself had 1.5 million drug addicts.
He said police destroyed more than 2,500 hectares of poppy cultivation which would lead to a reduction in production this year.Afzali praised the United States for its aid in tackling the drugs problem, but he criticised Europe, despite being a key market for the Afghan heroin trade, for not giving enough help.He also criticised the governor for southern Kandahar province for failing to help against poppy cultivation.He said the NATO-led force did not destroy poppy fields in Marjah of district of adjacent Helmand after forces seized much of the area from the Taliban in a major offensive in February.More than 140,000 foreign troops are trying to defeat the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan.