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Taliban Money Men Outwit US

Diverse revenue streams defy crackdown efforts

By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff

Posted Oct 19, 2009 7:37 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The Taliban is thriving financially, despite the US’ best efforts to clamp down on its cash flow, thanks to a sophisticated collection of revenue streams including foreign donations, criminal activities, and drug trade profits. “I don’t believe we can significantly alter their effectiveness by cutting off their money right now,” one House Intelligence Committee member tells the New York Times. “It’s just bigger and more complex than we can effectively stop.”

“In the past there was a kind of a feeling that the money all came from drugs in Afghanistan,” says one administration official. “That is simply not true.” Officials now believe more money—$106 million last year, by CIA estimates—comes from foreign donors. Most is from private donors, but American spies also suspect Pakistani intelligence of doling out financial aid. And even a successful financial crackdown might mean little. “Their operations are so inexpensive,” says one ex-CIA analyst, “that they can be continued indefinitely.”

In this April 25, 2009, file photo, Afghan farmers work in an opium poppy field in Nawa district of Helmand province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan.
In this April 25, 2009, file photo, Afghan farmers work in an opium poppy field in Nawa district of Helmand province, south of Kabul, Afghanistan.   (AP Photo/Abdul Khaleq, file)
Activists of Pakistan's pro-Taliban religious party Jamat-e-Islami collect money for people affected by crackdown operation against Taliban in the Swat region in this April 30, 2009 file photo.
Activists of Pakistan's pro-Taliban religious party Jamat-e-Islami collect money for people affected by crackdown operation against Taliban in the Swat region in this April 30, 2009 file photo.   (AP Photo/Mohammad Iqbal, File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 6 comments
bewilderbeast
Oct 20, 2009 1:38 AM CDT
Of course, it's too much to hope the USA would just GO HOME and attend to the many challenges it has there? Which, if it fixed them, would once again make it an admired leading nation, and slowly help us forget what a state-terrorist nation it has become? You WILL NOT defeat every nation on earth; And you WILL slide down from your perch at the top of the tree. The intelligent thing to do now (for your children's sake) is to start becoming a good world citizen (which you are definitely NOT at present).
cochiserocks
Oct 19, 2009 12:46 PM CDT
Come on - Put a man on the moon, x-ray through clothes at airports, monitor emails+text messages+phone calls - even invent pilotless drones - but this is too much for all these resources to tackle? Really?
Spudsy
Oct 19, 2009 8:45 AM CDT
Because we need the oil. Gotta have it. Would be cutting off our own nose to piss off the Saudi government. One cynic might even suggest that we only support Israel to create a diversion for the Saudi poor to direct their hate at instead of their own corrupt government.

 
Afghanistan • Taliban • heroin • opium • drug trade • Afghanistan war

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