KHOST NEWS

Northern Route

Opiate shipments through the Northern Route — also known as the Silk Route — start at the northern border of Afghanistan. They wind their way through the Central Asian countries of Tajikistan, Kyrgystan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan before ending up in Russian or European markets. Drug trafficking on the Northern Route has increased in recent years as shown by the number of seizures — 1.8 metric tons of opium in 2000 to 4.2 metric tons in 2001. Political instability and economic hardships have made the Central Asian region attractive to drug smugglers.



Balkan Route

The Balkan Route was once the dominant route for trafficking opiate products to Europe. In recent years, as the Northern Route gained more prominence, the number of opiate products traveling through the Balkans has dropped from 80 percent to roughly 50 percent according to UNDCP and other sources. To make the trip through the Balkan Route, opium, morphine base, and heroin from Afghanistan are shipped directly to Iran or are transported to Peshawar or Quetta in Pakistan before crossing the Iran-Pakistan border for transport to Turkey. From there, opiates are then trafficked through Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Czechoslovakia or through a southern leg in Albania and Yugoslavia before heading to the rest of Europe. The seaport of Karachi, Pakistan is also a main trafficking center for shipments overseas.



Traffic Routes the the U.S.

Southwest Asian heroin — almost all of which comes from Afghanistan — was much more prevalent in the 1980s, but now only accounts for six percent of heroin consumed in the U.S. To reach New York City, the primary U.S. transportation center for Southwest Asian heroin, Afghan-origin heroin travels from Pakistan through Nigeria. Heroin is also smuggled via mail packages, by couriers on commercial planes, and in containerized cargo. From New York, the drugs are shipped to Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit for further distribution.

Afghanistan Fraud in The September Parliamentary Elections

KHOST NEWS

IEC Statement on Retrieval, Turnout and Contingency Materials

20 Sept 2010

The IEC is continuing to oversee the retrieval of materials from polling on 18 September 2010. Two

days after elections, 73% of sensitive materials such as ballot boxes have been retrieved to IEC offices

in provincial capitals. One hundred percent of materials in Helmand, Jowzjan, Kapisa, and Kabul have

been retrieved while provinces with hard to reach areas, such as Badakhshan, Ghor, and Daikundi, have

between 30-50% of materials retrieved. Provincial IEC offices are in turn forwarding results forms to

the National Tally Center at IEC headquarters.

The IEC takes this opportunity to reiterate information on voter turnout as announced on 18 September.

Voter turnout was calculated based on the maximum number of voters planned for, which were

estimated through population statistics. By the end of polling on 18 September the IEC only received

reports from approximately 79% of planned polling centers (86% of polling centers reported open),

providing an initial turnout figure of 3,642,444 voters. Approximately 9.2 million voters were allocated

to these polling centres out of a total allocation of 11.4 million voters for all polling centers. More

complete information on all opened polling centers is expected to be released in conjunction with

results.

Reports that contingency materials could not be distributed to polling centers have also been received by

the IEC. It is important to point out that strict control of materials is one of the principles of fraud

mitigation the IEC adheres to, and stringent procedures exist to ensure that these materials are not used

to facilitate fraud and misconduct. A total of 255 polling centers received contingency materials on

Election Day. Of those, logistical constraints prevented delivery to several centers in hard to reach areas

such as Jawand District, Badghis and Darwaze Bela Mamai district, Badakshan. Isolated cases where

voters could not vote due to lack of materials are certainly regrettable but at the same time highlight the

risks of holding elections in the current security and logistical climate.

Finally, the IEC notes that some media outlets and observer groups have been quick to imply the

electoral process is unsuccessful based on allegations of fraud and misconduct. The IEC acknowledges

that cases of fraud and misconduct are inevitable in the current security climate and is fully committed

to working with the Electoral Complaints Commission to eliminate the effect from the final results

insofar as possible. The IEC reminds these outlets that the process is not yet completed and urges media

and observer groups to display restraint in their statements, in order to permit voters to decide on the

legitimacy of the process as it continues to unfold.

U.S. Deaths Reach A Record High In Afghanistan

GARMSIR, Afghanistan, July 21 -- U.S. deaths in Afghanistan have surged to a record high this month and are likely to remain elevated as American and NATO forces settle into outposts in southern Afghan villages and cities where Taliban forces have traditionally been the strongest.

The rising death toll comes as the country prepares for a presidential election next month, and could erode U.S. public support for a war that is already among the longest in U.S. history.

"This is probably the new normal," said Seth G. Jones, an analyst for the Rand Corp. and author of a new book on the U.S. military's nearly eight-year-old war in Afghanistan. "I'd actually be shocked if casualties didn't continue to increase."


KHOST NEWS