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from THE TIMES....

Russia funds Taliban in war against NATO forces

By ANTHONY LOYD | 12:01AM GMT - Monday, 16 October 2017


Russia seems to be trying to undermine the Afghan army as part of a proxy war against the US and its allies. — Photograph: Parwiz/Reuters.

KABUL — Russia is funding Taliban military operations against NATO in Afghanistan through a covert programme of laundered fuel sales, The Times has learnt from members of the Islamist group and Afghan officials.

Russian intelligence services are sending fleets of fuel tankers into Afghanistan through the Hairatan border crossing with Uzbekistan. From there, they are delivered free of charge to front companies operating on behalf of the Taliban. The arrangement allows about $2.5 million raised in cash from the sale of the fuel each month to be delivered directly to insurgent paymasters.

Russia has accelerated its support in recent months in an apparent attempt to bolster the Taliban against Islamic State. The trade has become part of the revived “proxy war” strategy against the US and its allies, which stretches across battlefields from Ukraine to Syria.

“We sell the fuel on and distribute the money directly to our commanders,” a Taliban treasurer from Ghazni province said. He had been authorised to speak to a journalist as part of the Taliban's efforts to advertise its relationship with international backers, in response to President Trump's decision in August to send 3,800 additional US troops and further funding to the Afghan government.

“Accepting money from the Russians is not something we like doing,” the Taliban treasurer said, “but it is necessary at this stage of our jihad.”

Moscow has been repeatedly accused by senior US officials of supporting the Taliban. “Russia does supply arms to the Taliban, and this, of course, is a violation of international norms and violation of the norms of the UN security council,” Rex Tillerson, the US secretary of state, said recently.

Yet the meetings with The Times were the first time the Taliban had publicly admitted to receiving Russian support. NATO has more than 13,000 troops still in Afghanistan, including up to 500 British soldiers, as part of Operation Resolute Support, which trains, advises and assists the Afghan government.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russia-funds-taliban-in-war-against-nato-forces-hvfl3cgrg