Taliban Stockpiles Surplus Opium

Bombing comes amid 'failed state' warnings

(NEWSER) - A suicide bomber in Afghanistan killed six people, including the deputy governor of the dangerous Helmand province, in an attack inside a mosque today. At least 11 others were injured in the explosion in the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah, a focus of reconstruction programs led by the British army, reports the Times of London. More»

Diverse revenue streams defy crackdown efforts

(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.” More»

(NEWSER) - The US is changing tactics in its war against the Afghan opium trade, the AP reports. Rather than targeting crops for eradication, the US will focus on interdiction and alternative crop programs. A top administration official called eradication “a waste of money” that failed to divert “a single dollar” of the roughly $70 million militants made in the opium and heroin trade last year. More»

Offensive aims to cut off Afghan insurgency's financial lifeline

(NEWSER) - American commanders in Afghanistan are preparing a huge assault on the Taliban's opium-growing heartlands this summer, reports the New York Times. Taking out the opium crop is key to NATO strategy, and commanders expect casualties on both sides will be high as the militants stand their ground to defend the poppy fields that fund their insurgency. More»

Corruption, other obstacles make cultivation of legitimate crops tough to maintain

(NEWSER) - Afghanistan’s second-largest opium-producing province has eradicated the drug, a remarkable feat but one that farmers fear is short-lived, the Christian Science Monitor reports. NATO-backed efforts in the country that makes 90% of Earth's opium have reduced poppy harvests, violence, and corruption nationwide. But to grow anything else, the region needs water, and locals doubt the government will deliver on promises to build dams. More»