4 chapters across the catalog
Afghanistan Opium Production and State Department Failure
A State Department press briefing addressed the failure of a $4 billion counter-narcotics program in Afghanistan, where opium production has reached record highs. Spokesperson Marie Harf struggled to answer why production increased despite the massive spending, eventually stating she would have to "check with her folks" regarding the SIGAR report.
Anti-Heroin Task Force, Afghanistan Poppy Production
The Justice Department received $7 million for a new anti-heroin task force, despite record-breaking poppy production in Afghanistan under U.S. occupation. The spending bill also includes minor increases for whistleblower protection enforcement through OSHA. However, the primary focus of the defense portion of the bill is "buying back the sequestration," ensuring that military and special operations funding returns to previous growth trajectories.
Mike Morell defended the CIA's use of armed drones in Pakistan and Yemen as a precise weapon system that prevents attacks on the scale of 9/11. Reports indicate the CIA has supplied between $50 million and $100 million in direct cash payoffs to Afghan President Hamid Karzai over the last decade. The discussion links the CIA's control of Afghanistan to the country's 90% share of global poppy production.
Afghanistan War Strategy and the Karzai Family Business
The war in Afghanistan is described as a long-term conflict that may last another 15 years. The hosts examine the influence of President Hamid Karzai's brothers, Mahmoud and Ahmed Wali Karzai, who reportedly control the country's cement industry, Toyota dealerships, and the opium drug trade while being protected by coalition forces.
