NOURNEWS - Drugs and the fight against them is one of the main global challenges alongside terrorism, which has brought many human and financial costs to countries.
Accordingly, one of the main goals of the United Nations and humanitarian organizations is to fight drugs and the mafia active in this field.
The representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Tehran on World Anti-Narcotics Day said that Iran, due to its proximity to Afghanistan, is one of the main routes for drug trafficking from this country to various destinations, especially Europe, and according to the annual report of this office. In 2019, Iran accounted for 90% of opium, 20% of heroin, 72% of morphine and 5% of world cannabis.
"The biggest route for heroin trafficking is still the Balkans, where opium is smuggled from Afghanistan to Iran, Turkey, the Balkans and various destinations in Central and Western Europe," Alexander Fedolf said.
In 2001, US and NATO forces invaded Afghanistan with a claim to fight terrorism and narcotics, but now, 20 years later, they have not fulfilled either of those promises.
The security crisis in Afghanistan in recent weeks has been a clear manifestation of the false claim that they are fighting terrorism and providing security to Afghanistan. The UN reports in 2020 also show that after 20 years of occupation, millions of Afghans are in need of food aid while terrorism and insecurity threaten their lives.
In the field of narcotics, following the promises of the United States and NATO, based on numbers and figures, it is well known that, for example, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, in its annual report, announced that in 2019, 6400 tons of opium in Afghanistan were produced and 253 thousand hectares in this country have been under poppy cultivation.
Published statistics also show that poppy cultivation and narcotics production in Afghanistan have increased at least fourfold since the US-NATO occupation in 2001.
Reports indicate that not only did the United States have no plans to fight narcotics in that country, but also organized gangs backed by foreign forces in the transfer of various types of narcotics from Afghanistan to other countries in recent years.
In a 2017 report, Global Research Canada reported that the United States generated $ 50 billion in annual revenue from drug trafficking in Afghanistan.
Accordingly, the United States must be held accountable for occupying a country for 20 years and massacring its people under the pretext of fighting terrorism and narcotics, while not only failing to function positively in these areas, but also paving the way for the spread of terrorism and increased narcotics production in Afghanistan.
On the other hand, according to the United Nations, the Islamic Republic of Iran is at the forefront of the fight against drugs and, consequently, terrorism, and the reaction of Western countries to this issue is worth considering.
Due to the high income of drug traffickers in European countries, the main destination of drug transit is Europe, and, therefore, Iran's fight against traffickers, which has cost hundreds of martyrs and many financial costs, is an obvious contribution to Europe's security and subversive opium contamination. It deserves all-round praise and support, while the behavior of Westerners is contrary to the principle of appreciation and support.
The political view of the West, which, due to the nature of the capitalist system, does not value human lives and measures everything on the basis of its own interests, has led these countries to pursue false human rights cases against Iran instead of supporting them.
Western countries claim to be fighting human rights against Iran in a political and business operation for the execution of drug traffickers, and even spying against the Islamic Republic in international forums, a behavior that has made drug traffickers bolder and more active. And its consequences will affect European citizens as well.
This kind of behavior by the West does not help the fight against narcotics, which can discourage Iran from continuing to fight the transit of narcotics to Europe, and they are the Western leaders who must answer to their nations why politics becomes more active with traffickers. Drugs have been introduced in the world, including in European countries.
On the other hand, it is an undeniable fact that oppressive sanctions, although they have never been able to and will not be able to subdue Iran to the demands of the West, will in any case affect the continuation of sanctions and the lack of necessary means to fight drug gangs and traffickers.
Instead of taking a constructive and irresponsible approach to human rights cases against Iran, European countries and the United Nations should hold the United States accountable for imposing sanctions on a country that has been at the forefront of the fight against drugs and terrorism, in addition to taking practical steps to lift sanctions.
BY: Mohammad Ghaderi
NOURNEWS