In April 2021, President Biden announced the removal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Troops had been stationed in the country for nearly two decades and the US had spent more than $2 trillion on the war. Experts expected the Afghan National Army to be successful, or at least hold the capital city for six months to a year before the Taliban took over. The city lasted 10 days. Now, thousands of Afghans wait on Kabul’s airport strip to be evacuated and rescued before they fall victim to the Taliban. Even Afghanistan’s President, Ashraf Ghani, fled the city on Sunday, August 15th. 

“The Taliban have won with the judgment of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honor, property and self-preservation of their countrymen,” President Ghani said.

The Taliban’s power and coordination took the nation, and the world, by surprise. However, after years of trying to stop the Taliban from taking in funds, their opium and heroin drug trade helped lead them to victory.

Drug Trade

Afghanistan as a country is the world’s largest illicit opiate and heroin supplier. According to the U.N. Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Taliban makes around $400 million in profit from drug trades in 2019. This is roughly 60 percent of the organization’s revenue. Additionally, in 2017, Afghanistan saw its largest yield of poppy and opium production. 9,900 tons were produced, which totalled $1.4 billion in revenue. This equated to roughly seven percent of Afghanistan’s GDP. 

While occupied by international forces, Afghanistan’s underground market slowly began to grow. Since troops have been steadily decreasing in the past few years, international forces focused on building up the Afghanistan National Army. The US alone spent $89 million to fund and train the army. No one spoke about or addressed the underground opium market sprouting in the country. This helped lead to the explosive market it is today. With the Taliban controlling most rural areas, profit goes directly to them. 

With widespread war, millions of citizens are uprooted. International financial aid has been cut. There’s a chance even more Afghans could turn to the illegal opium and heroin trade to survive. They could also join with the Taliban for security in their farm lands and for their protection. 

Future

It’s unclear what the USA’s next steps will be. President Biden blamed the takeover of Kabul entirely on the Afghanistan government. “American troops cannot and should not be fighting in a war and dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves,” President Biden said. “We gave them every chance to determine their own future. We could not provide them with the will to fight for that future,” he added.

But for things to change, it seems important for the country, and the world, to look at where funds are coming from: the opium and heroin industry leading Afghanistan.

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