Afghanistan Army Ready, or Not?

Courtesy of: The Guardian at Youtube.com

Afghan Power struggle: Poppy KingPins vs. Goverment?

Video courtesy of: Youtube.com / AlJazeeraEnglish

Karzai excited about Iranian help?

Karzai pic from: PressTV

Well everyone I'm back, sorry about the lapse in updates but a serious staph infection has kept me a little busy, but I'm a trooper and its time to get down to business. Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that he was hopeful for Afghanistan with the help of Iran for reconstruction. Conversely Iran will become integral in destroying the drug trade currently being produced by their neighboring nation. Iran's interest comes after a devastating percentage of their own population becoming addicted to Afghan Heroin. While Karzai is overtly pro American and says he has strong anti Drug policies, his own brother has been named as one of the top drug lords by many inside sources. Some also attribute the successful protection of Karzai against terrorist assassination is due to his brother's involvement with the heroin trade, which is by the way the #1 form of revenue production funding terrorism. Let's hope Karzai is on the up and up...

Iran and Ireland World Cup Experience

Pic from: worldcupblog

The World Cup qualifying match 2001, the stage is set at Azadi Stadium in Tehran, Iran. The game is between Iran and Ireland. What is extremely unique about this particular competition was the large number of Irish fans who flew into Iran for the game. More amazing the Iranian government allowed 40 Irish women to attend the at the stadium. This is the first time since the 1979 Iranian revolution women were allowed to attend any major sporting event. These 40 spirited ladies may have been a lucky charm because the Irish won the series 2-1. This was a historical event in Iran and proved that Iran has come a long way, and that the luck of the Irish stays strong...Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone across this world, we are all Irish today and that means we are all brothers and sisters. GOD bless whom ever he may be...

For more info click here

Irish Spirit in Iran

pic courtesy: Ireland and Iran

A group of Iranian girls showing international unity,
and feeling the spirit of the
Irish on this St. Patrick's Day!!!

ECO: Binding Iranian-Afghan relations against Drugs

Pic from: MSNBC

The Economic Cooperation Organization (A.K.A: ECO) is being proposed to Iran and Pakistan in order to provide relief to Afghanistan. The organization would bind the three countries and require the sharing of technology, building of railroads and roadways, and providing shelter to those in need among the three nations. Iran's main incentive to comply and participate in building this "bridge" so to speak. Why would a fairly organized nation provide assistance and intervention to neighboring countries which are the cause of many of Iran's current drug and population problems? Well the short-term answer is that Iran will be able to curb the heroin trafficking by more ably securing the borders and countryside in Afghanistan. The long-distance answer is that it will eventually strengthen all three nations and provide unprecedented economic growth and unity among these neighbors. A "Triple Threat"of sorts (no pun intended). Lets hope this plan goes the distance and stability can restored to the region, as well as peace!!!

Coalition soldiers trekking down the Silk Road

Courtesy of: The White House

Less coalition surveillance in Afghanistan

US plans to pull 12,000 troops out of Afghanistan, as well as all 4,000 British soldiers by September. Does this mean less surveillance on the drug trade, and an increase in weapons coming in from Iran to support the resistance. Well unfortunately a recent bombing shows the instability of the situation in Afghanistan, and with less of a force in south-east Afghanistan, the funnelling of drugs, weapons, and chaos will surely continue. In my opinion we should pull back ground forces and put more emphasis on counter intelligence, and special ops to control the borders. Feel free to let me know what you think my fellow citizens of the world?!!!

New and potent form of heroin

Photo and Info from: guardian.co.uk


I wish we could have just opium. But with 350 laboratories [Afghan drug producers] are converting opium to heroin and crystal," he said. Crystal is a particularly pure form of heroin also known in Iran as "crack". This is according to Iran's deputy foreign minister, Mehdi Safari. I this new easily smokable form of heroin is fast becoming the dominant way of drug abuse in Iran. No longer do addicts in Iran need to inject powder heroin to produce the same dangerous high. The rate of addiction is on the rise due to those who once feared disease from needles.

Undercover agent on middle east nuclear struggle

Undercover agent reveals Nuclear Plans




Video courtesy of: DutchDrummer99

Prostitution in Iran


Video from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N55yDV728Ls

The video above shows a dark side of life for Iranian women who have to turn to prostitution to support their children and themselves. These women are usually not married and have fallen on hard times, and because it is extremely difficult for women to get jobs if they have children out of wedlock or were born into poverty. None the less sex out of wedlock is a very severe crime itself, and prostitution can be punishable by death. Stoning is the common procedure, a process in which stones are thrown that the victim by locals a stone doesn't usually cause the death blow, but instead the accumulation of stones will eventually crush the body under that amount of weight. So with sanctions like these on prostitution, imagine how desperate these women must really be... That's all for now friends, I would like to mention that we have to respect cultural laws but how we help these women find another system of support???

Afghan Refugees trapped along the border

Pic from :http://news.bbc.co.uk/
This is yet another example of the difficult circumstances that both Iran and Afghanistan face. To the right, is a picture of Afghan refugees camping along the border's of Iran. Unfortunately this scene is not unique and we could take a million other pictures of similar living conditions for each Afghan citizen trapped between a country who can't support the influx of refugees (Iran, Pakistan), and a home that may no longer exist...(Afghanistan)

Nuclear Iran is feeling the heat

Recently Iran's ongoing nuclear interests have come under even more international scrutiny. Reports leaked about Iran's Nuclear program indicate the country has been able to refine uranium to about 40 percent, more than is necessary for safe nuclear energy. If these reports are correct, the uranium content has to reach a little more than double at 88-92 percent purity to become useful in nuclear warhead...Scary Sh*t. Now although it seems like they have a ways to go, it is making neighboring countries and the international community very nervous because the country is continuing to seek weapons grade uranium and the less than friendly relationship with Israeli, the U.S Occupation of Neighboring Iraq and Afghanistan. Let's hope that reports which I heard on a Nationally syndicated News talk radio program, are a little overblown...no pun intended!

Iran's growing addiction

(Heroin Addict smoking in an Alley)
Photo from:http://www.stuff.co.nz/


Hey my friends. I am delving into the Iran's crisis dealing with the highest rate of heroin addiction per ca pita in the world. This growing issue is due to the onslaught of heroin and raw opium, making its way into Iran from Afghanistan via the Silk Road. The problem has become so bad that the Iranian government is setting up Methadone clinics across the nation is order to curb the destruction being wreaked upon the nation. Methadone, for those who don't know is a regulated oral substitute to heroin which provides addicts relief from cravings and withdrawals. I will continue my search to understand the magnitude of this problem in the near future.

Corruption and Chaos: Human and Drug Trafficking leaking into Iran

Hey guys this is my first blog post ever, and I am really excited to share my thoughts and hear your responses. As you may or may not know I am trying to bring awareness of the growing problem of heroin and human trafficking along the Silk Road, and leaking into Iran's borders from Afghanistan. Hopefully I can learn, and inform about how this crisis is affecting both Middle-Eastern Countries. I'll be updating soon, till then à bientôt (Good Day)!