No lesson learned

As the U.S. troops and NATO forces leave Afghanistan they leave more than just the loss of the materials of war. The guns and ammo and the trucks and explosives and all of the equipment will still be there when the opposing, rag tag army takes over. But the most conspicuous part of the whole 20-year war that will still be there is the narcotics. That has not been mentioned in the recent withdrawal and loss by the invading forces. How did the local forces support themselves during this 20 year battle with the U.S. and NATO?

While the U.S. and European nations took taxpayer money to the tune of trillions of dollars, the opposition financed their side of the war by selling heroin and other narcotics to the civilians of the the nations who were fighting them! And because of the kind of payments they received they turned in the kind of money they received to the U.S. and European banks to be “laundered” into dollars! This was pointed out a few times during the 20 years but was largely ignored.

Now it’s over for the “Western nations.” But the narcotics will keep coming to those nations and the dead and the casualties will be forgotten. When will we ever learn?

Bart Haggin

Spokane