Moscow and Capitol Hill Unhappy With Afghan Narcotics

Viktor Cherkesov, head of the Russian Federal Drug Control Service, and a delegation arrived in Tehran on December 4, IRNA reported. Amir-Hussein Motahar, deputy chief of Iran's Drug Control Headquarters, expressed the hope that their meeting might result in closer cooperation between the two countries, while Cherkesov noted that Russia and Iran have a common interest in controlling the flow of drugs.

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The discussions will focus on the growing of opium in Afghanistan and the resulting export of narcotics, as well as cooperation in multilateral forums.

Motahar also told reporters of a counternarcotics facility in Iran that directs the efforts of 60,000 people, and the country's construction of canals, fences, and walls along the eastern border.

The same day, Brigadier General Behnam Shariatifar, the chief of Iran's Border Guards, said in the northwestern city of Gorgan that difficulties with the porous eastern border are mostly resolved, IRNA reported. He attributed the change to "appropriate and comprehensive investments," including the construction of static defenses. Shariatifar described the installation of "advanced radar systems" in the future, saying this will give Iran total control over the border.

Cherkesov said on December 5 that coalition forces in Afghanistan have not acted to rein in the drug trade, ITAR-TASS reported. Not only are their measures inefficient, Cherkesov charged on the second day of a visit to Tehran, but "on the contrary, we witness a rise in production and smuggling of heroin." Cherkesov said both Moscow and Tehran believe the coalition armed forces should be more proactive in countering illegal drugs.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) would like to see the Pentagon do more, too, the "Los Angeles Times" reported on December 5. The military tends to ignore drug bazaars and takes little action against trafficking syndicates, and it tends to reject DEA requests for transportation, the daily reported. The military reportedly considers drug control a law-enforcement problem and fears alienating the locals who earn a living from the trade, the "Los Angeles Times" reported.

In a letter written one day after "The Los Angeles Times" article about a lack of cooperation appeared, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman promised in a letter to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Illinois) that the situation would improve, the newspaper reported on December 8. Edelman wrote to the chairman of the House International Relations Committee, "We have taken your concerns seriously and will work more closely with DEA to make use of this important capability." (Bill Samii)