On February 4, Facebook accounts (1, 2) shared information claiming that official sources confirmed USAID was funding the cultivation of opium poppies and the production of heroin in Afghanistan. Specifically, according to Soso Manjavidze, a host on “Eri Media,” the U.S. agency financed irrigation systems necessary for growing opium. Additionally, lawyer Irakli Zakareishvili alleged that the CIA was also involved in this operation, selling the produced goods on the black market alongside USAID, with an annual expenditure of $56 million on these activities.
The claim that USAID funded opium poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan is being spread manipulatively. In reality, the claim is based on a 2018 report, which states that the agency funded irrigation systems, farming equipment, and fertilizers intended for agricultural programs aimed at discouraging farmers and drug traders from cultivating and trafficking opium. However, the program did not achieve the desired results, and drug traffickers later used the funded resources for opium cultivation.
The photos uploaded by Irakli Zakareishvili were taken from a 2018 article, which states that U.S. taxpayer money was spent on poppy cultivation and heroin production in Afghanistan. Notably, the White House website, which shared identical information on February 3, cited this very article as its source. The publication itself references a report released in 2018 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). SIGAR is an institution created by the U.S. Congress to oversee Afghanistan’s reconstruction efforts. This report states that between 2005 and 2008, USAID spent at least $330 million in Afghanistan under “alternative development programs,” which aimed to discourage farmers and traders from cultivating and trafficking opium. However, these programs failed, and the aid ultimately unintentionally contributed to increased poppy cultivation and heroin production. This primarily concerns the irrigation systems, which were developed or rehabilitated to expand farmland for agricultural purposes. While the initiative did increase arable land, it also led to a rise in opium poppy cultivation, as these irrigation systems were used for that purpose. According to the document, USAID also provided Afghan farmers with agricultural equipment and fertilizers, much of which was ultimately used, without the agency’s intent, for opium production.
The article states that, by that time (2018), Afghanistan was the world’s largest heroin producer, with this business accounting for a significant share of the country’s gross domestic product, and because of this, the Afghan government refused to completely eradicate opium poppy crops. Therefore, the U.S. government targeted heroin production laboratories with airstrikes, but this approach did not yield significant results. Meanwhile, the Taliban was making hundreds of millions of dollars from this business, accounting for 60% of its total funding.
Contrary to Zakareishvili’s claims, neither the article nor the White House statement mentions any involvement of the CIA in opium production or deliberate funding of this business by USAID, let alone its participation in heroin trafficking.
Following the White House statement, the information spread on social media. Among those who spread it is also Elon Musk, who shared a post by conservative figure Mike Benz. Notably, Benz published a second post claiming that one of USAID’s partners, the United States Institute of Peace, receives an annual budget of $56 million and lobbies for the continuation of heroin production by the Taliban.
In 2022, the Taliban, which officially governs Afghanistan, banned opium production. In this regard, the United States Institute of Peace published an article stating that this decision would be harmful both to Afghanistan and the world. Mike Benz interprets this article as lobbying for the continuation of heroin production, although, in reality, the article discusses different concerns. In particular, the author says that as opium accounts for a significant share of Afghanistan’s GDP, its abrupt ban could further weaken the already fragile economy, exacerbate poverty, and put a portion of the population at risk of starvation. Ultimately, these issues could lead to increased migration, with many Afghans seeking refuge in Turkey and Europe. Additionally, the author argues that the Taliban imposed the ban on opium production without considering alternative sources of income, and, in the long term, this will not benefit Afghanistan significantly or contribute to global efforts to combat drugs.
About the Source:
Lawyer Irakli Zakareishvili regularly spreads antisemitic, anti-Ukrainian, and anti-Western disinformation on Facebook. His false claims posted on social networks have been repeatedly debunked by Myth Detector.
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