VOA标准英语2008年-The Business of Opium in Afghanistan: Drugs and

By Siri Nyrop
Kabul, Helmond And Nangahar Provinces, Afghanistan
27 May 2008
 

Afghanistan supplies virtually all of the world's illegal opium¹.  Last year, the country's drug trade was a $4-billion business, half of which alone was produced in the south where the fighting against the Taliban insurgency² is the fiercest. Getting Afghanistan to rid itself of poppy is a pillar of U.S. policy there, because the Taliban use profits from opium as a revenue source.  For Afghans themselves, however, feelings about poppy are conflicted:  It's harmful to their country and to their people, but it is also a livelihood³ for many where instability offers few alternatives.

In this last report of a four part series, VOA's Afghan service examines the efforts to prosecute⁴ drug dealers⁵ in Afghanistan. VOA's Siri Nyrop narrates⁶.  

This little boy is one face of the poppy trade in Afghanistan.

For this boy, the ATV (All Terrain⁷ Vehicle) is not tearing up an illegal crop, but destroying his family's livelihood.

In an Afghan drug court, and the men on trial are notorious drug dealers.

Still, in Afghanistan it is dangerous work to go after even small fish in the country that produces almost all of the world's opium.

The Afghan judicial⁸ system is still a fragile work in progress.  Judge Mukrima Akrami believes in her work, but she is also well aware of the threat she faces from the bigger drug dealers behind the scenes. 

"I'm concerned.  I feel insecure when I go out.  It's because we are facing drug dealers,” Mukrima Akrami, Afghan Judge said. “They are organized criminals.  My family members and I risk being kidnapped.  But still, my job is important to me, and I perform it responsibly." 

A man convicted, complains bitterly about what he sees as a double standard.

He says, "This is a fact that every Afghan, even the Afghan government knows.  Traders support the farmers.  They are government officials, high-ranking policemen and members of parliament.  They are powerful people.  And the big drug traders are free."

Charges of corruption⁹ at all levels, not just with the drug trade, have long been leveled at Afghan officials by friends and foes¹⁰ alike.

Former Director Of Counternarcotics, US Embassy Kabul agrees, "Corruption is a serious, serious problem, and the police are corrupted¹¹ from time to time.  Local government officials are corrupted; the provincial¹² government officials are sometimes corrupted, so it's across the board.  Unfortunately, this is becoming all too common in Afghanistan society in general, but its certainly very much there in drugs."

Interdiction¹³ is yielding some results, but most of the drug traffickers easily dilute¹⁴ justice.

One high-level drug lord who was arrested wasn't tried in Afghanistan. Instead, he was turned over to federal authorities in the United States.

Karen Tandy, DEA official says, "Haji  Baz Mohmmad, who was extradited Friday, is one of the world's most wanted, most powerful, and most dangerous drug kingpins."

Baz Mohammad was the first defendant¹⁵ the Afghan government ever extradited for drug crimes.

"He pled guilty to being a manager of a heroin¹⁶ transportation organization through which he moved heroin from Pakistan and Afghanistan to the U.S. from 1990 through 2005.  From 1994 forward, he and his organization used some of the money from the sales of the heroin in the US to support the Taliban in Afghanistan. And in exchange, they received the protection of the Taliban," Boyd Johnson, Chief of the Public Corruption Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office, New York City said.

Mohammad was sentenced to over 15 years in a US prison. But it's a long way from the American courthouse to this one in Afghanistan.

It will take time before the Afghan judicial system has the power of the criminals it must prosecute. 

1 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

2 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

3 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

4 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

5 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

6 narrates   

v.故事( narrate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It narrates the unconstitutional acts of James II. 它历数了詹姆斯二世的违法行为。 来自辞典例句
• Chapter three narrates the economy activity which Jew return the Occident. 第三章讲述了犹太人重返西欧后的经济活动。 来自互联网

7 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

8 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

11 corrupted   

（使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• The body corrupted quite quickly. 尸体很快腐烂了。
• The text was corrupted by careless copyists. 原文因抄写员粗心而有讹误。

12 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

13 interdiction   

n.禁止；封锁

参考例句：

• the Customs Service's drug interdiction programs 海关的毒品查禁方案
• In addition to patrol duty, blastboats are dispatched for planetary defense and interdiction missions. 除了例行巡逻，炮艇还被赋予行星防御和封锁的任务。

14 dilute   

vt.稀释，冲淡；adj.稀释的，冲淡的

参考例句：

• The water will dilute the wine.水能使酒变淡。
• Zinc displaces the hydrogen of dilute acids.锌置换了稀酸中的氢。

15 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

16 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。