Alwaght- Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said that there is evidence of the United States’ support for the Taliban terrorist group in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a media briefing on Thursday in Moscow, Zakharova responded to Washington's earlier claims that Russia was collaborating with the Taliban and noted that it was the Pentagon's way of hidings its own "sponsorship of the Taliban" in Afghanistan, adding that there is evidence of the US support for the terrorist group.
The spokeswoman explained that reports by US officials indicated that large portions of US military aid to Kabul had been stolen. Weapons written off as losses could be used to equip "the whole army," Zakharova pointed out.
"Once again, we [Russia] would like to emphasize that our contacts with the Taliban have only two goals: ensuring the security of Russian citizens in Afghanistan and contributing to the process of national reconciliation, which unfortunately has not yet made any progress," the spokeswoman stressed
The Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman blamed the unstable situation in the Middle East and North Africa as well as the increase in international terrorism on "the NATO member states' military gambles." US troops invaded Afghanistan on 7 October, 2011 allegedly to fight terrorism, following the 9/11 attacks and the promise of vengeance aimed at the Taliban, hosts of al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden. US-led NATO forces have been ‘unable’ to oust Taliban from Afghanistan and now even the ISIS terrorists groups has gained a foothold in parts of the war-torn country.
Additionally, the estimated opium production in Afghanistan has increased nearly 25 times since the US-led invastion 2001, reaching 4,800 tons last year, according to UN estimates.
Afghanistan produces over 70 percent of the global supply of heroin that represents a sizeable fraction of the global narcotics market, estimated by the UN to be of the order of $400-500 billion.
Some pundits believe the US, through the CIA, is instrumental in supporting this highly profitable multibillion-dollar trade, third in commodity value after oil and the arms trade.
