US Bombs Poppy Seeds in Afghanistan ‘Show of Force’  Helmand
Bombings Part of 'Hearts and Minds' Campaign, State Dept.
Insists  by Jason Ditz, July 21, 2009  In what is seen as an
enormous show of force in the ongoing battle between man and
poppy seed, the United States military has dropped several tons
of explosives on a field in the Helmand Province, destroying
mounds of poppy seeds which had been gathered there.  Poppy
Seeds: Scourge of the US war effort in Afghanistan  Today’s air
strikes were the latest, and likely most heavy-handed exercise
of US military power in the war on drugs in Afghanistan, as the
poppy seeds which have become a significant portion of
Afghanistan’s largely agrarian economy often get exported for
use in opium derivatives.  The attacks seem related to the US
military’s massive offensive in the Helmand River Valley. Top
NATO Commander General John Craddock has long sought to divert
the military mission into a broader war on drugs, lashing out at
allies who opposed his policies and or