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The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that "the Taliban have an annual revenue of between USD 200-300 million from a surcharge levied on illicit drug trade".
This was revealed by International Narcotics Control Board in its report for the year 2008. The report was released today.
The report said security is "weak" in southern provinces of Afghanistan and an "overwhelming" majority of villages are involved in illegal opium poppy cultivation.
It, however, said the illegal opium cultivation has dropped by 19 per cent from its record level of 1.93 lakh hectares in 2007 to 1.57 lakh hectares last year. Despite this, the country accounts for 90 per cent of illegal opium in the world.
The eradication efforts in Afghanistan are being "hampered" by lack of security, poor planning and inadequate equipment and funding, the report said.
In a welcome trend, the report noted, there has been an increase in the number of provinces that have become free of opium poppy and there have been more voluntary eradication efforts by farmers.
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Also, taliban terrorists might be getting funds from middle east weathy bussiness people, US tax payer;s money through pak army. if these financial wings can be destroyed completely, they will become paralytic. It requires comphrensive approach from, USA, India, EU, Russia and Isreal, USA muststop going alone
Is that all the UN can do - be a mute spectator to drug money being used to foster terrorism? What a worthless organisation.
The area devoted to opium cultivation has dropped by 19%, but the UNODC report that due to higher yield, the amount of opium exported to the criminal sector has dropped by only 6%, and indeed, much of the fall that did result was due to drought. The way to go is to buy the crop and use it to relieve terminal pain in Africa, where millions die in agony from cancer each year.