US Role in Afghanistan’s Drug Trade Revealed by American Journalist

DID Press: A prominent American investigative journalist made eye-opening claims about Washington’s direct involvement in fueling Afghanistan’s drug industry over the past two decades.

Speaking on a television program Democracy Now, Seth Harp alleged that the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan played a central role in expanding and sustaining the narcotics trade during America’s 20-year military presence.

According to Harp, Western media narratives that blamed the Taliban-led caretaker government for the drug crisis were misleading. Instead, U.S. forces not only failed to curb production but also turned a blind eye—or, in some cases, provided support—allowing the trade to flourish.

Citing the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and their subsequent actions in 2023, Harp said: “Taliban succeeded in halting drug production entirely within a short period, in fact, actively obstructed—something U.S. forces failed to achieve during their two decades in Afghanistan.”

He emphasized that evidence indicates U.S. policies in Afghanistan were shaped not by the declared goal of countering narcotics, but by hidden economic interests—including control over the lucrative drug trade.