Afghan drug producers-main sponsors of terrorism.

10/9 Tass 115

CHOLPON-ATA (Kyrgyzstan), September 10 (Itar-Tass) --Large-scale
production of narcotics in Afghanistan is the main source of the financing
of terrorist and extremist groups in the world, Viktor Ivanov, head of the
Russian Federal Service for Drug Control, has said at a regular meeting of
the coordinating council of heads of the agencies fighting illegal drug
trafficking.

According to Ivanov, the money coming from the sale of Afghan
narcotics actually boosts international terrorism and extremism, including
in Central Asian countries. Specifically, it promotes the functioning of
Hizb-ut-Tahrir and United Tajik Opposition operating in that area. Ivanov
linked the activities of extremists in the Xinjiang-Uygur Autonomous
Region of China with international drug mafia.
"According to various statistics, the annual profits of international
drug-producing cartels amount to four billion dollars," Ivanov said.
According to his information, Afghanistan is the world leader by the
production of hashish. This year's exports of hashish from Afghanistan are
twice as great as in 2008.
"The situation taking shape in Afghanistan does not give any reasons
for optimism. In fact, international drug-producing cartels turned that
country into a drug-cultivating farm," Ivanov stressed.
In his opinion, the actions of the international counter terrorist
coalition in Afghanistan are "extremely ineffective" in fighting illegal
drug trafficking. In this connection member countries of the Collective
Security Treaty Organization should work out additional mechanisms for
warding off that threat.
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