Defense Official Says Drug Money Funds Al-Qaeda’s Effort to Acquire Dirty Bombs

The al-Qaeda terrorist network uses profits from illicit drug trafficking to fund its arms purchases and to possibly acquire materials that could be used in radiological weapons, the Washington Times reported today (see GSN, Dec. 2).

“[Osama] Bin-Laden does not mind trafficking in drugs, even though it’s against the teaching of Islam, because it’s being used to kill Westerners,” said a U.S. defense official.  “He has allies and associates who are not members per se, but who move products for him and take drugs and buy arms and give the arms to al-Qaeda,” the official added.

The White House is now pushing to undermine al-Qaeda by attacking its narcotics operations, according to the Times. The terrorist organization is reportedly using poppy fields in Afghanistan to produce heroin and opium.

“If you’re going to get terrorism under control, we’ve got to stop their livelihood, which is money,” said the defense official (Rowan Scarborough, Washington Times, Dec. 29).

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