Afghanistan Afghanistan is the world's largest source of illegal heroin and has a long history of opium cultivation. Approximately 50 percent of Afghanistan’s GNP comes from the drug trade.  The Taliban cracked down on the trade and almost eradicated the same. After the Taliban regime was overthrown by the US-backed Northern Alliance in 2001 opium production resumed. In 2007, it’s been the biggest harvest ever and according to the Americans the Taliban fund their war with profits from the same. Eradication efforts drive angry farmers into the arms of the Taliban who levy a tax and protect the farmers from government troops. The Americans have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into a huge effort to stop heroin cultivation. Helmand Province, the center of the Taliban resurgence and temporary home to a large number of British and American troops, produces more opium than any "country" in the world. Read more on my photo blog at  The road to Jalalabad Afghan addiction		A soldier crouches in a poppy field while it gets destroyed Detail on a childs desk in Nangahar province passing by A farmer in his poppy field Masood By the way, on the way to Nangahar Child of a heroin addict Village and bomber Woman in Kabul Home for recovering heroin addicts Poppy field being destroyed by government workers Kabul Woman in shadows, Kabul Heroin addicts Children of poppy farmers while their fields are destroyed Soviet tank graveyard Recovering heroin addict Poppy farmer Tank graveyard Kabul Driving by woman and plane Driving by Aishwarya Rai in Kabul Street scene Kabul street Kabul