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Exclusive: 11 Tons of Opium Discovered in Taliban Town
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ShareDecember 20, 2007 3:26 PM
In some of the strongest evidence to date linking the Taliban with the drug trade, 11 tons of processed opium for heroin production, worth tens of millions of dollars, was discovered by NATO troops when they stormed the Taliban-controlled town of Musa Qala in southern Afghanistan.
Investigative reporter and author Stephen Grey was the only journalist who accompanied the thousands of Afghan, British and American forces as they took the strategic town last week.
Click Here to View Exclusive Footage of the Opium Factory.
Musa Qala was a key stronghold for the Taliban in Afghanistan and has been known to be a major crossroads for the opium trade.
NATO troops discovered two sites of opium production that were operating with the blessing of the Taliban government. The troops burned the processed opium last week.
Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.
British troops abandoned Musa Qala in October of 2006 after losing seven lives defending a base in the town from waves of Taliban attacks. The Taliban took it over in February of that year. It became one of the few major places in Afghanistan where the Taliban could operate in the open, trying to set up their own local government and courts.
U.S. commanders openly criticized the British-backed handover of Musa Qala. The recapture of the town heals an open wound that undermined claims by NATO that the Taliban were being defeated militarily.
Stephen Grey is the author of "Ghost Plane: The True Story of the CIA's Rendition and Torture Program" (St Martin's Press). He is an award-winning investigative reporter who has contributed to the New York Times, BBC, PBS and ABC News among others.
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December 20, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (14)
Opium production has been a major product from this region long before the Taliban rose to power. It is not surprising that this crop is being used to finance the Taliban military operation. Many thanks to ABC for bringing this issue to our attention
Posted by: anonymous | Dec 20, 2007 5:09:24 PM
OK, so what is the answer? If you remove the only means a whole population can make a living, do you really think you are creating a stable situation? How are they supposed to make a living? Are we giving them an equally profitable product to grow? What are they supposed to do instead?
Posted by: A | Dec 20, 2007 5:47:59 PM
No telling how many other countries have their hand in the drug trade. These just got found out?? What's new pussycat??
Posted by: Victoria L. Hawkins | Dec 20, 2007 5:53:10 PM
Very likely they found the CIAs opium before it was heli-ported out!
Posted by: Bill Hicks | Dec 20, 2007 5:56:55 PM
oh sad......
Posted by: chewedthrurestraints | Dec 20, 2007 6:07:24 PM
...so how does radical Islam reconcile the drug trade in their infinite religious beliefs?
Posted by: Bill | Dec 20, 2007 6:19:32 PM
Just think, if they legalized opium, it would be worthless!
Posted by: steve | Dec 20, 2007 6:29:52 PM
Oh like this is a surprise? CIA shipment most likely. I concure.
Posted by: CusterwasSiouxed | Dec 20, 2007 6:45:04 PM
Why destroy it?
They should have flown the Opium out for refinement into medical-grade Morphine, and Heroin.
Also...
Afghan farmers should be integrated into the global pharmecutical network.
It would provide them with an incentive to co-operate with NATO forces.
And...
the 'posters' who alluded to a CIA connection are well informed.
While the Taliban may have driven to an 'Opium-for-Arms'/'Oliver North' kind of situation, they have historically, and rabidly comdemned drugs, severely punishing those who transgess.
On the other hand... Western 'Intelligence' agencies, (the Russians included), have long been utilizing the fertile feilds.
Posted by: dja | Dec 21, 2007 2:55:37 AM
The opportunity in Afghanistan is to develop the oil in th country, and the mineral resources, the new cash crop should be hemp. It will grow just as well if not better in the same land that they use for poppies and it is a more versitle crop.
Posted by: Louis | Dec 26, 2007 1:41:59 PM
Excuses and blame are not enough.
War is War
Posted by: R Escondido | Dec 26, 2007 1:43:41 PM
YES INDEED...IMAGINE THE BENEFIT FOR ALL CONCERNED, AFGHAN OF ALL WALKS AND OUR BOYS IN UNIFORM IF OPIUM IS LEGALIZED, ENCOURAGED AND ITS FULL POTENTIAL REALIZED AS GOD'S ULTIMATE ELIXIR. A SOLDIER HIGH ON OPIUM IS A MUCH BRAVER, LESS TO QUESTION...JUST A MORE EFFECTIVE SOLDIER ALL AROUND. THE BLITZKRIEG WAS FUELED BY SPEED. JAPAN WOULD NOT HAVE AS MUCH SUCCESS WITH THE KAMIKAZES WITHOUT OPIATES AND STIMULANTS...
Posted by: TESTICLE | Dec 26, 2007 9:03:27 PM
The government of Afghanistan needs to take over the opium production or at least have all the farmers sell their products to them. They could have a government factory that produces morphine or other proscription pain drugs and sell them to government worldwide. This would offer some control to the problem and help the little farmer that does not know how to produce anything else. With price supports (which I normally hate) they could take a large amount of the opium out of the hands of the illegal drug runners and could destroy what they can’t use.
Posted by: Thomas | Dec 27, 2007 3:06:41 PM
Very insightful comments from everyone - the US public is better informed than I thought. Now why can't our bloody government officials get their collective heads out of their butts and take some of this advice?!
Posted by: Brendan | Dec 29, 2007 1:41:39 AM
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