US Government says foreign donations fund the Taliban

from World-Check

US Government says foreign donations fund the Taliban 

Recent reports point to foreign funding as the largest revenue source for the Taliban. Once thought to rely mostly on opium trade for funds, the Taliban has now built an array of revenue sources that include criminal rackets, donations, taxes, shakedowns, among other schemes, which makes it difficult to block the money supply according to US and Afghan officials. The CIA estimates that the Taliban received $106 million in 2008 from supporters outside Afghanistan. Richard Barrett, the UN coordinator of the Taliban and Al-Qaida Monitoring Team says that Taliban sympathizers are much more skillful today at masking their donations and ensuring that the money cannot be traced back to them.

Terrorism financier pleads guilty

Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari (UID 571572) has pleaded guilty to charges of terrorism financing and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Alishtari has been accused of facilitating the transfer of US$152,000 with the understanding that the money would be used to fund training camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He also pleaded guilty to stealing money through the operation of a fraudulent loan investment programme. ....