NewsMine — war-on-terror — afghanistan — opium — Viewing Item

Afghan poppy profits going to taliban { April 2007 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)    http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070522/NEWS/205220335/1368/googlesitemapnews http://www.ocala.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070522/NEWS/205220335/1368/googlesitemapnews Poppy profits going to Taliban U.S., NATO want anti-terror mission to include more anti-drug efforts. BY JASON STRAZIUSO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS KABUL, Afghanistan - Profits from Afghanistan's thriving poppy fields are increasingly flowing to Taliban fighters, leading U.S. and NATO officials to conclude that the counterinsurgency mission must now include stepped-up anti-drug efforts. This year's heroin-producing poppy crop will at least match last year's record haul and could exceed it by up to 20 percent, officials say, meaning more money to fuel the Taliban's violent insurgency. "It's wrong to say that you can do one thing and not the other," Ronald Neumann, who recently stepped down as U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan, said of the link between anti-drug and anti-terrorism efforts. "You have to deal with both at the same time." Afghanistan accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's heroin supply, and a significant portion of the profits from the $3.1 billion trade is thought to flow to Taliban fighters, who tax and protect poppy farmers and drug runners. Drug control has not been part of the official mandate of international forces in Afghanistan. But there is a growing push for NATO's International Security Assistance Force, or ISAF, to play a more active role in sharing intelligence and detecting drug convoys and heroin labs, said Daan Everts, NATO's senior civilian official in Afghanistan. There is "increasing international interest in seeing a more assertive supportive role in ISAF in the counternarcotics strategy implementation," he said before quickly adding that it would not include eradication. International forces also might provide support for operations targeting senior drug traffickers, Neumann said. Afghanistan accounts for more than 90 percent of the world's heroin supply.

Afghan drug trade Afghan heroin is flooding to the united states { January 1 2007 } Afghan military tied to drug trade { September 4 2003 } Afghan opium 2005 threat to world stability Afghan poppies sprout again { November 10 2003 } Afghan poppy profits going to taliban { April 2007 } Afghanistan soaring drug trade hits home { March 13 2008 } Afghistan opium 2007 reaches record levels { March 5 2007 } Britain losing afghan opium war Bumper year for afghan poppies { July 24 2003 } Fatal clash with tribes poppies { May 2 2003 } General sees drugs link with alqaeda Karzai blames west for afghan poppies { May 23 2005 } Massive post war Officials say poppies undermine democracy { April 2 2004 } Opium crop prices soar Opium dealers blamed for attack on afghan vp Opium freedom Opium funding 40perc of taliban { October 18 2007 } Opium harvest record level in afghanistan { September 3 2006 } Opium msnbc Poppies poised comback { November 23 2001 } Poppy farms rebound { November 23 2001 } Poppy planting Terror link to booming afghan drugs trade { April 3 2004 } Un warns opium production spreading like cancer { October 30 2003 } US arrests afghan heroin baron bashir noorzai { April 25 2005 } Us soldiers becoming drug addicts US soldiers in afghanistan using heroin Files Listed: 29

Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security Archives

This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information, go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purpose of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.