>Imagine the United States government and military are represented in Afghanistan in some capacity. Democracy is the word the administration uses.
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>How can we support a nation that has religious intolerance and provides 90% of the heroin to the world? I guess that we do not want to “interfere in the affairs of another nation"?

Afghanistan is one of those places that no one really understands. Its been a thorn in the side of most major powers for decades.

Personally I have no problems understanding our position there. We're there to hunt the Taliban and bin Laden. We helped crush the old regime, helped set up the new one, and are letting them run it as they see fit. That's the best policy, IMHO. Britain and the Soviet Union tried to take over, and got a hard kit in the 'nads for their efforts.

AFA poppy growing goes, I don't think that decades of tradition can be changed quickly. Efforts have been made to convince the farmers to grow other things, but again, that's up to Karzi's government to deal with. And right now, I would bet they have a lot more pressing issues than dealing with poppy farmers.