Pierre-Arnaud Chouvy / 2003 / Asia Times.
Driven by war, poverty and chaos, Afghanistan’s opium production in the wake of the ouster of the Taliban regime is dramatically increasing and seems to be the only avenue by which many Afghans can make a living. Indeed, in a country already characterized by a tortured landscape and harsh climatic conditions, let alone generations of war, the commercial production of opium has been the only means of subsistence available for many peasants in eastern Afghanistan.