NY Times: Taliban Essentially a Drug Cartel

As high-ranking Taliban officials have become entrenched in the opium trade, the prospect of peace is diminishing.

According to a New York Times report, top Taliban leaders have become enmeshed in the trade, and the United Nations warns that making peace with the West would actually hurt their bottom line.

"This trend has real consequences for peace and security in Afghanistan, as it encourages those within the Taliban movement who have the greatest economic incentives to oppose any meaningful process of reconciliation with the new government," the most recent U.N. monitoring report said.

In July 2014, Afghan forces stopped a convoy, seizing almost a metric ton of opium, along with weapons and communications equipment.

More