Thanks for taking the time for this. These are all interesting. In terms of drugs being grown in Afghanistan, in particular, I'm wondering now where the market has gone (if at all) with all the pressure on poppy farmers there.

Yes, I work for an independent newspaper. I pretty much have free reign over what I write (although I still need to pitch stories to an editor). Politically or corporately controversial isn't a problem. The basic rule is that the reporting has to be solid enough that it could stand in court (usually after I write a story like that I have to go through a long fact-checking session with a layer before it can be published).