Dah Sabaz, Afghanistan, June 27, 2007—Showing that the war on drugs may be heating up in Afghanistan, government officials watch piles of opium burn on the outskirts of Kabul.
Afghanistan, once virtually cleared of illegal poppy production under the Taliban, has soared back to former highs as the world's largest supplier of opium. Some 10 percent of the country's cropland is now devoted to poppies, according to UN estimates, providing more than 90 percent of the world's supply and the vast majority of the Afghan national economy.
Officials have a tough job ahead of them. This year's crop could exceed even last year's record harvest because of favorable weather, UN officials have warned.
Email to a Friend 
