Listen Live
Donate
 on air
    Schedule

    KCRW

    Read & Explore

    • News
    • Entertainment
    • Food
    • Culture
    • Events

    Listen

    • Live Radio
    • Music
    • Podcasts
    • Full Schedule

    Information

    • About
    • Careers
    • Help / FAQ
    • Newsletters
    • Contact

    Support

    • Become a Member
    • Become a VIP
    • Ways to Give
    • Shop
    • Member Perks

    Become a Member

    Donate to KCRW to support this cultural hub for music discovery, in-depth journalism, community storytelling, and free events. You'll become a KCRW Member and get a year of exclusive benefits.

    DonateGive Monthly

    Copyright 2026 KCRW. All rights reserved.

    Report a Bug|Privacy Policy|Terms of Service|
    Cookie Policy
    |FCC Public Files|

    Back to Which Way, L.A.?

    Which Way, L.A.?

    Following the Opium Money in Afghanistan

    A Senate committee says two federal agencies have lowered conventional estimates of how much drug money is going to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency say the Taliban get about $70 million a year from Afghanistan's opium poppies, much less than the $400 million estimated by the UN last year.

    • rss
    • Share
    By Warren Olney • May 12, 2014 • 1 min read

    A Senate committee says two federal agencies have lowered conventional estimates of how much drug money is going to the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The CIA and Defense Intelligence Agency say the Taliban get about $70 million a year from Afghanistan's opium poppies, much less than the $400 million estimated by the UN last year. Al Qaeda may not be getting much at all. Gretchen Peters is author of Seeds of Terror, which argues that both religious terrorist groups have evolved into narco-terrorist syndicates with religious overtones.

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Big Banks, Big Bonuses and Big Government
    1. 0:00Docs Show Rove Played Key Role in US Attorneys' Firings
    2. 7:37Big Banks, Big Bonuses and Big Government
    3. 40:09Following the Opium Money in AfghanistanYou’re reading this
    • https://images.ctfassets.net/2658fe8gbo8o/AvYox6VuEgcxpd20Xo9d3/769bca4fbf97bf022190f4813812c1e2/new-default.jpg?h=250

      Warren Olney

      former KCRW broadcaster

    • KCRW placeholder

      Christian Bordal

      Managing Producer, Greater LA

    • KCRW placeholder

      Karen Radziner

      Managing Producer, To the Point & Which Way LA?

    • KCRW placeholder

      Gretchen Peters

      former journalist, Associated Press and ABC News

      News

    The full episode

    3 of 3
    Big Banks, Big Bonuses and Big Government
    1. 0:00Docs Show Rove Played Key Role in US Attorneys' Firings
    2. 7:37Big Banks, Big Bonuses and Big Government
    3. 40:09Following the Opium Money in AfghanistanYou’re reading this
    Back to Which Way, L.A.?