According to the U.S. State Department, insurgents of the Taliban movement are benefiting the most from Afghanistan's illegal drug trade, which again reached record levels in 2006. But Anne Patterson, assistant U.S. secretary of state, praised neighboring Iran's role in combating drug trafficking, the
Tehran Times reports. This comes in spite of a State Department report describing Iran as a major transit route for drugs smuggled from Afghanistan which reach Western markets.
"They are playing a very positive role," Patterson said of Iran. "They have been very active along the border" with Afghanistan.
Afghanistan produced 90 percent of the world's opium in 2006.
In spite of the United States invasion of Afghanistan, the Taliban is gaining strength.
Iran's role in stopping drug trafficking is likely due to a desire to reduce addiction rates in Iran; however, this has had an effect on the amount of opium reaching Europe and the United States.
Of course, the United States has no diplomatic ties with Iran, and there are no joint programs to combat drug smuggling.
