Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery
Oil is big business. Dare I say the biggest business, narcotics, a close second, notwithstanding. Thus it only makes sense that the illegal drug trade would take a page out of the Oil Empire’s handbook. Oil and heroin have been bedfellows for a while, most recently coming into light with the US invasion of Afghanistan. The Taliban, which was the ruling sect until recently, used draconian methods of public torture, executions and destruction to all but eradicate Afghanistan’s heroin production throughout the ‘80s, when the US were their allies. Now, in order to fund their war against the US and other terrorist activities, the Taliban protect and pay top dollar to farmers that grow the opium poppy which in turn produces heroin. This has evolved to the point where over 90% of the world’s heroin is coming from Afghanistan. 
Although the main goal for the invasion of Iraq in 2003, which eventually spilled over into Afghanistan, was set in motion to destroy any weapons of mass destruction and capture Saddam Hussein it also included the hunt for Osama Bin Laden, the head of the Taliban. The initial animosity between the US and Taliban began during the first Gulf War in 1990, which arguably was solely over the access to oil, when Iraq invaded Kuwait, one of the richest crude countries in the world. After the US intervened the relationship with the Taliban soured and terrorist activities against the west began. In turn money to fund these activities was required so the terrorist organization turned to heroin, now a necessary and acceptable evil, to punish the infidels.
Oil companies, historically, have manipulated the price of oil by stock piling supply and releasing product to the world at their own pace to ensure the basic economic supply vs demand model stays profitable. By keeping the supply in line with the demand they can maintain higher prices for their black gold. Ironically, the Taliban have taken note of this and even though they are producing heroin at a rate estimated to be 130% of the world’s consumption, they have begun to limit the amount that makes it to market to ensure top dollar for their own version of black gold. The general consensus amongst the world’s experts is that the Taliban have, at bare minimum, a 2 year supply in storage, ready to be shipped depending on demand.
At this stage of the game whatever the world’s ‘War on Drugs’ is accomplishing is obviously negligible when you focus on Afghanistan’s heroin production and distribution capabilities. They have only increased efficiency in the last 20 years when they have been under the utmost pressure from around the world to halt these activities, so much that they can now emulate the most profitable commodity on the planet. This type of organization and foresight is terrifying. So what’s the answer? I couldn’t tell you, but it is blatantly obvious that whatever has been going on is certainly not working, heroin production and use, on a global scale, is at an all time high and climbing. Perhaps it’s time to go back to the drawing board and take another stab at a solution.
