NATO reaches deal for tougher Afghan drug action

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Mother and son in Afghanistan. File Photo: EFE

NATO defense ministers have agreed their troops can target drugs facilities financing the insurgency in Afghanistan, the alliance spokesman says. James Appathurai told reporters Friday that NATO troops in Afghanistan would act with Afghan authorities to move “against facilities and facilitators'' using drugs to raise funds for the Taliban.

NATO was working to find an agreement that would authorize their troops in Afghanistan to attack the heroin trade blamed for bankrolling the growing insurgency against international forces. Diplomats said there are signs Germany, Spain and other allies who had been reluctant to task NATO troops with the counter-narcotics mission were coming round to acceptance of the plan following a direct appeal help from Afghan Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak.

The U.N. estimates the drugs trade pumps up to US$100 million (euro73 million) a year into the coffers of the Taliban fighters whose resurgence in recent months has raised doubts about whether Western forces can win the war.