Nato agrees deal to attack Afghan drugs trade

Nato allies meeting in Budapest have reached a compromise deal to attack Afghanistan’s drug trade, but they have given no further details.

The United States claims the country’s opium, which is estimated to account for more than 90 percent of global production, brings in around 60 million euros a year, helping to fund the Talibans increasingly violent insurgency.

Nato’s top commander in Afghanistan, General John Craddock, has been calling for a mandate to target the country’s trafficking networks.

But, several Nato members, including Germany, argue that such a mission could worsen the situation and put troops at risk.

Despite a large increase in Nato forces, violence in the country has increased significantly in the last two years