I've heard the question asked repeatedly. How is Al Qaeda, which is
supposedly relegated to living in caves in stone-age conditions able to
create state of the art video documentaries that rival those produced
by TV networks and news channels?
In the past much of the seed money used to finance Bin Laden's
operations came from his personal fortune. But with all of the money
controls slammed into place six years ago after the 9/11 attacks, that
money has been for all intents and purposes untouchable.
Yet this year Al Qaeda's video production is at an all time high,
not just in terms of the quality of the videos they are releasing, but
in terms of sheer numbers. Until the last few weeks, Al Qaeda has been
releasing a video every 2-3 days on average this year.
Some of the videos are sophisticated, utilizing Chroma-Key
technology which allows them to merge the video with a background
imaging and give the viewer the illusion of a fancy background, when in
fact they are simply shooting in front of a "green screen". In many of
these videos, especially of Al Qaeda leaders, you end up with the
perception that they are being filmed in a state-of-the-art television
studio, when in fact they are probably being shot in a bare room with a
high quality camera and a good set of lights.
We've seen crystal clear footage clearly taken using image
stabilizing video cameras of field operations (terrorist attacks for
those less inclined to be politically correct).
We've seen video footage of graduation ceremonies, taken by "contract" cameramen from Pakistan.
Clearly there remains a free flow of cash to fund the video
operation at the very least. Few doubt that funds are also readily
accessible for Al Qaeda to use on terrorist operations as well.
So where's the money coming from to fund Al Qaeda's multinational terror conglomerate?
A major portion of the funding is coming from Afghanistan's most
famous cash crop, the opium poppy, and it's byproducts, which supply
drug traffickers and users worldwide.
A UN report shows an 18% increase in poppy production throughout
Afghanistan. And in areas controlled by the Taliban, specifically the
Helmand province, poppy production is up 45% in the last year alone.
There is a direct correlation between the increase in poppy
production, and its resulting income, and the reconstitution of Al
Qaeda since 2001.
Let's use the video production of Al Qaeda as an indicator of its
growing strength. When mapped against poppy cultivation for each year
since 2001, we see a direct correlation between poppy cultivation and
video output. (Note: 2007 video output is to-date.)
Poppy production did drop in 2005, but still exceeded pre-2001 records.
It is clear that a great deal of the funding for Al Qaeda is coming
from the sale of narcotics produced from the poppy crop. In fact, a
look at pre-2001 production levels strongly suggests that Bin Laden's
growing network may have been heavily funded by narcotics even before
the September 11 attacks.
In fact, it is clear from looking at the graphs provided by the
United Nations Office on Drug Control and Crime, the lion's share of
the world's supply of heroin comes from Afghanistan.
With poppy production, and subsequent opium and heroin production at
an all-time high for Afghanistan, it is clear that Al Qaeda cannot be
controlled or defeated as long as it is able to draw upon the funding
from the poppy harvest and narcotics sales.
As a matter of fact, the only good news here comes from basic laws
of supply and demand. Some speculate that the production increases have
led to a glut of poppies, and market is becoming flooded with high
quality Afghan opium. According to an official with the United States
Agency for International Development, this is forcing prices down on
the market. Since labor costs are up, the profit margin is shrinking.
