Search

A
A+
A++

U.S. & World

Digg |

Facebook |

Stumble It! |

del.icio.us |

Fark
E-mail | Print

Oct 10, 2008 5:45 am US/Central

NATO Greenlights Strikes On Afghan Drug Facilities

CBS News Interactive: About Afghanistan

CBS News Interactive: Taliban In The Crosshairs

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) ― A spokesman says NATO defense ministers have agreed that their troops can target drug facilities that finance the Afghan insurgency.

James Appathurai told reporters Friday that NATO troops in Afghanistan would act with Afghan authorities to move against "facilities and facilitators" who use drugs to raise funds for the Taliban.

The United States has been trying to persuade allies to strike back by hitting the narcotics trading networks and laboratories where opium produced by poor Afghan farmers is transformed into heroin for the world market.