The "Bali Nine"

[Tonchi]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

Is it the Taliban that is growing the opium? 'Cause before the war, the Taliban was the only one deterring opium production in Afghanistan, and the farms really popped up after the Taliban was deposed.

Not that I'd be too shocked if they have started taking a cut.

According to the New York Times, yes. This story was carried by the AP news service and also appeared in my local paper. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/03/wo...=1&oref=slogin

"Afghanistan’s opium harvest this year has reached the highest levels ever recorded, showing an increase of almost 50 percent from last year, the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Antonio Maria Costa, said Saturday in Kabul.

He described the figures as “alarming” and “very bad news” for the Afghan government and international donors who have poured millions of dollars into programs to reduce the poppy crop since 2001.

He said the increase in cultivation was significantly fueled by the resurgence of Taliban rebels in the south, the country’s prime opium growing region. As the insurgents have stepped up attacks, they have also encouraged and profited from the drug trade, promising protection to growers if they expanded their opium operations.

“This year’s harvest will be around 6,100 metric tons of opium — a staggering 92 percent of total world supply. It exceeds global consumption by 30 percent,” Mr. Costa said at a news briefing.........."