NATO Troops Target Afghan Drug Lords

NATO has given its troops permission to go after Afghanistan's drugs labs and opium kingpins, Agence France Presse reports. Some members of the alliance had been wary of targeting the industry, fearful of alienating farmers. But the Afghan government has given its blessing to attacks on the trade that puts $100 million a year into the Taliban's coffers.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates "is extremely pleased that after 2 days of thoughtful discussion NATO has decided to allow ISAF forces to take on the drug traffickers who are fueling the insurgency, destabilizing Afghanistan and killing our troops," a Pentagon spokesman said.
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