Foreign donations: The Taliban receive financial aid from certain countries, such as Pakistan, Iran and Russia, as well as private citizens from Pakistan and several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar¹²⁴. This may account for a significant proportion of their revenue, possibly up to $500 million a year¹.
Drug trade: Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, which can be refined to make heroin. The Taliban tax every stage of the drug production and smuggling process, from poppy farmers to traders¹²³. This is one of their main income sources, generating between $100 million and $400 million a year¹.
Mining and trading minerals: The Taliban exploit the rich mineral resources of Afghanistan, such as copper, gold, iron, coal and gemstones. They extract and sell these minerals to local and foreign buyers, often through illegal channels¹²⁵. This may bring them another $100 million to $400 million a year¹.
Taxation and extortion: The Taliban impose various taxes on the people and businesses in the areas they control, such as a 10% cultivation tax on opium farmers, a 2.5% wealth tax (zakat), and a 10% tax on harvests (ushr)¹²⁵. They also extort money from development and infrastructure projects, as well as from transport and telecommunication companies¹²⁵. This could add another $300 million to $500 million a year to their coffers¹..

Source: Conversation with Bing, 12/26/202 3 (1) Afghanistan: How do the Taliban make money? - BBC.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-46554097.

(2) Who funds the Taliban? Where the Afghanistan militants' funding comes ....

https://inews.co.uk/news/world/taliban-who-fund-supplies-weapons-afghanistan-funding-explained-1158494.

(3) Taliban - Wikipedia.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban.

(4) Who are the Taliban funded by? Inside its £1 billion fortune.

https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1477515/Taliban-funding-income-arms-Afghanistan-latest-evg.

(5) How is the Taliban funded: Where do the militant group get money and ....

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/taliban-where-weapons-money-funds-b1911655.html.

(6) en.wikipedia.org.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban.

[–] Flyberius@hexbear.net 27 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (2 children)

That's current funding. Who funded their startup back in the 80s?

[–] somename@hexbear.net 22 points 10 months ago

Surely not the CIA!

[–] Wilshire@lemmy.ml 1 points 10 months ago (2 children)

Although the mujahideen were aided by the Pakistani, American, British, Chinese and Saudi governments, the mujahideen's primary source of funding was private donors and religious charities throughout the Muslim world—particularly in the Persian Gulf. Jason Burke recounts that "as little as 25% of the money for the Afghan jihad was actually supplied directly by states."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mujahideen

[–] comrade_pibb@hexbear.net 19 points 10 months ago

I'm glad that the CIA has a good record of making it's charitable funding expenditures public information

[–] Dolores@hexbear.net 13 points 10 months ago

that's not the exonerating testimony you think it is. 25% of the money, to say nothing of the proportion of arms, logistical or political support is a substantial contribution to a project that has locked Afghanistan in warlordism for 45 fucking years

[–] Krause@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

Drug trade: Afghanistan is the world’s largest producer of opium

lol, lmao

i wonder what happened in 2001 in afghanistan...

[–] Dolores@hexbear.net 12 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Drug Trade

LMAO i trust you'll believe a US government rag whining about the Taliban's successful anti-opium campaign (opium the US puppet regime definitely disapproved of, right?)

[–] ShimmeringKoi@hexbear.net 6 points 10 months ago

Pay no attention to the Golden Triangle behind the curtain

[–] 420stalin69@hexbear.net 8 points 10 months ago

Lmao the Taliban have practically eliminated the opium production in Afghanistan. Just like they did before the US invasion.

It was under US rule that opium production returned and surged.

So you’re talking made up bullshit.

[–] moujikman@hexbear.net 6 points 10 months ago

Drug trade: Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium, which can be refined to make heroin.

The illicit drug trade isn't just heroin, it's moving opioids into India so they can be resold to the pharmaceutical industry for our legal-opioid epidemic.