Every militant group in the region—from the Taliban to the Haqqani Network to ISIS-K—taxes poppy farmers and labs. The narcotics travel via the "Southern Route" (through Balochistan to the Arabian Sea) and the "Northern Route" (through Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia into Europe).
Since 2021, the U.S. has frozen $7 billion of Afghan central bank assets and imposed crushing sanctions. This has collapsed the economy, leading to 90% of Afghans living below the poverty line. The link to catastrophe is direct: a starving population produces refugees. And those refugees travel through Iran, Turkey, and into Europe—the very migration crisis of 2015 repeating itself. afghanistan link
However, the modern interpretation began on December 24, 1979, when Soviet tanks rolled into Kabul. The Kremlin believed it was securing its southern border. Instead, they activated a lethal chain reaction. The United States, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia funneled billions of dollars and advanced weaponry (Stinger missiles) through Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) to the Mujahideen. Every militant group in the region—from the Taliban