Non-government groups in Afghanistan urged the United States to reconsider its emphasis on eradicating poppy crops in the drive to stem opium and heroin production, saying this could destabilize the country. Thirty-one NGOs, including leading groups CARE, the International Crisis Group and Oxfam International, made the plea in an open letter sent to US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice Monday. “We are writing to express concern that the current counternarcotics policy places premature and excessive emphasis on crop eradication,” the letter said. Full Story