At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on developments in Afghanistan, Congressman Mike Turner highlighted the role of poppy production and narcotics trafficking in funding the Taliban.
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At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on developments in Afghanistan, Congressman Mike Turner highlighted the role of poppy production and narcotics trafficking in funding the Taliban. Specifically, Turner questioned General David Petraeus on what International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan required, and how they will reduce production going forward. In response Petraeus thanked Turner for his work on the issue starting with the first days of Petraeus’ command in Afghanistan.  The General stated that Turner’s efforts were a “catalyst for a pretty substantial examination that we did of this problem.”
 
The line of questioning stems from Turner’s 2010 visit to Afghanistan, where he met with Petraeus and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. At the meeting, Turner noted how poppy production has nearly doubled since 2006 and that it accounts for nearly one-third of the Taliban’s funding. Following the meeting, Petraeus set about reassessing the approach towards counternarcotics in the country. Over the past two years, Turner has actively met with leadership at the Department of Defense and the Drug Enforcement Administration to urge greater attention to this growing problem.