According to Singapore’s “Lianhe Zaobao,” reported that senior U.S. military officers, said Mills, in southern Afghanistan, the opium trade by the destruction of the joint forces of NATO, making the Taliban militants in the region facing a “financial crisis.”
Responsible for leading in Helmand Province (Helmand) Joint Force Major General Mills said the Taliban now has less money for half a year. Helmand is Afghanistan’s main opium producing areas, opium cultivation is a major source of income for the Taliban.
Mills told reporters that the US-led coalition forces in February of this year’s security operations in and forced the Taliban retreat from the province’s Marjah, the coalition will be in the region to combat the opium trade.
He said that Afghanistan‘s poppy production this year dropped by Fusarium wilt, with the local government to actively encourage farmers to switch to other crops, which are further cut off the Taliban’s “financial resources.”
Mills said the Taliban to buy explosives and the recruitment of new members and so much less money than before. He said: “We believe that the militants in Helmand province, the operation of the funds currently have less than half of last year.”
On the other hand, Mills also pointed out that the Afghan army and police should soon be able to take over some of the areas of security work. He said: “I believe in the coming months, we will be able to work in some areas the majority of security responsibilities to them (Afghan forces).”
Obama announced in December last year, a new war strategy in Afghanistan, said he would deploy more than 30,000 troops to Afghanistan. He was at West Point speech, said that U.S. troops will leave Afghanistan within 18 months, ie from July to begin withdrawing troops next year.
Afghanistan, the multinational force command of U.S. Central Command Gen. David Petraeus in an interview last month, says, withdrawal, or to look at the situation on the battlefield of Afghanistan to decide.
