Joe Biden's disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal continues to haunt this administration.
Reports broke this weekend that Afghanistan is the "world's fastest-growing maker of methamphetamine," according to a UN report.
That now makes Afghanistan the trifecta of major drugs produced.
War on Narcotics
The Taliban claims to have declared war on narcotics, but the facts tell a far different story.
In addition to meth, Afghanistan is also a major producer of heroin and opium.
The report found that meth seizures in multiple countries are now showing drugs that were manufactured in Afghanistan, specifically in the European Union and East Africa.
Since the Taliban has taken over the country, meth seizures have risen significantly, from about 200 pounds in 2019 to almost 6,000 pounds in 2021. As usual, if that much is being seized, you know the production numbers have gone through the roof.
Apparently, meth is now the preferred choice of production over drugs like heroin or coke.
Angela Me, the chief of the UNODC's Research and Trend Analysis Branch, stated, "You don't need to wait for something to grow. You don't need land. You just need the cooks and the know-how. Meth labs are mobile, they're hidden. Afghanistan also has the ephedra plant, which is not found in the biggest meth-producing countries: Myanmar and Mexico. It's legal in Afghanistan and it grows everywhere. But you need a lot of it."
The Taliban has led a crackdown on meth producers, but the fact of the matter is that many of the terrorist organizations that operate in Afghanistan fund their operations through the sale of narcotics.
My guess is that as soon as an operation is shut down, another goes up to take its place almost immediately.
Opium production has also increased by a reported 32%.
The income for farmers producing opium has reportedly gone up by more than 300%, from $425 million to $1.4 billion last year.
I don't know what plan the Taliban has in place, but it is clearly failing.
