Taliban Is Paid to Protect US Supply Convoys

US military funding Taliban through contractors

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 12, 2009 2:40 AM CST | Updated Nov 12, 2009 5:20 AM CST

(Newser) – The Taliban is getting a big chunk of its financing by protecting supply convoys to the American military. Security contractors paid by the US to bring supplies into Afghanistan pay huge amounts of protection money to warlords and insurgents, an investigation by the Nation has discovered. Pentagon officials are aware of the situation and estimate that at least 10% of the hundreds of millions paid to contractors ends up in Taliban hands.

In some areas, the Taliban sends escort vehicles to protect US supply convoys from other insurgents, according to officials. Paying protection money is simply the only way to get the necessary supplies through some regions, say industry insiders. "If you tell me not to pay these insurgents, the chances of my trucks getting attacked increase exponentially," said one American executive. One company has tried to avoid paying off warlords, and has suffered constant attacks and huge numbers of casualties, say observers.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Burned trucks are seen smoldering after Taliban militants attacked the vehicles on the main Ghazni-Kandahar highway in Ghazni, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, last month. (AP Photo/Rahmatullah Naikzad)

Burned trucks lay crippled on the side of the road after an attack by Taliban militants on the main Ghazni- Kandahar highway in Ghazni, west of Kabul, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Rahmatullah Naikzad)

Trucks drive on the dusty roads linking to Kabul and Jalalabad, Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

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The American soldier in me is repulsed by it. But I know that it is what it is: essentially paying the enemy, saying, 'Hey, don't hassle me.' I don't like it, but it is what it is.
- Col. David Haight, 3rd Brigade,
10th Mountain Division

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 14 comments

zackmasson

Nov 13, 2009 7:50 AM CST

So thats how they can afford all those weapons and ammunition. So so so wrong. :(

Spudsy

Nov 13, 2009 3:14 AM CST

Yes. And we should pay them to take over the country and hand us Al Qaida. If they would have given us Bin Laden back in 01 they could still be in charge and opium production would be down.

So_Cal_Larry

Nov 13, 2009 2:27 AM CST

How did we minimize fighting activity in Iraq? We bribed our adversaries to stop fighting us. While we're there, it works. After we're gone - we have yet to see. We should bribe anyone in Afghanistan we can to get out of this mess. It's a country drowning in corruption. Bribery is a way of life. General McCrystal has no plan whatever to bring ethics to government - just to stop the insurrection.

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Afghanistan • Taliban • US military • security contractors • convoy • Afghanistan war • military contractors

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Taliban Is Paid to Protect US Supply Convoys