MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Afghanistan government money reaches the Taliban indirectly through the marble business, British media reported on Friday.
According to The Guardian, the Afghan government buys marble stone from private firms who in turn pay fees and taxes to Taliban, which results in the Taliban making from $50,000 to $60,000 per day or over $18 million per year.
The Helmand province, a center of large marble industry has been for a long time under control of Taliban militants who charge contractors for extraction rights. The Afghan government unable to get to the marble elsewhere buys it from the contractors, thus knowingly providing a line of funding to the Taliban, the newspaper says.
Afghanistan is experiencing significant political, social and security-related instability, as radical extremist organizations, including the Taliban, continue to stage attacks against civilian and state targets.
