Fighting Opium in Afghanistan

The State Department has released the new U.S. Counternarcotics Strategy for Afghanistan. As expected it’s a mix of carrots (more funding for the Good Performers Initiative which rewards provinces that reduce production) and sticks (more non-negotiated poppy eradication and support for in-country interdiction). Ambassador Schweich recently spoke at CSIS (see here for a summary of his presentation or here for the audio).