NATO To Target Afghan Drug Lords, Labs

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 07:05:54 +0000
AHN Staff

Budapest, Hungary (AHN) - NATO ministers agreed on Friday to allow coalition troops in Afghanistan to fight Afghan drug lords and destroy opium laboratories, the source of funds for Taliban militants.

Afghan forces will join in NATO operations against drug trafficking, the military bloc's spokesman, James Appathurai, told BBC News.

Currently, NATO's anti-drug trafficking activities together with the Afghan army and police are limited to destroying opium poppy production.

Proceeds from the sale of heroin produced in Afghanistan are estimated at $100 million a year and the money is being channeled to Taliban militants battling the U.S.-led coalition forces.

The United Nations, U.S. and the Afghan government had urged NATO to help dismantle the narcotics industry in Afghanistan as a way to stop the insurgency.

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