A SENIOR Afghan intelligence official has accused a handful of parliamentarians of supporting Taliban insurgents.
Trend News Agency, Aug.6, 2008: "Abdulla Loghmani, the deputy chairman of the Afghanistan National Security Department, blamed some MPs to support terror and drug trafficking. Loghmani said that there were heavy evidences for these evidences."
The deputy head of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), Dr Abdullah, told parliament on Tuesday that a "number of delegates" in Parliament "supported drug traffickers and terrorists", our political correspondent said.
Abdullah did not name and shame any politicians.
Similar allegations have been made in the past by Western officials, but it is the first time a senior Afghan official has accused lawmakers of helping the Taliban.
A spokesman for the NDS confirmed Abdullah's remarks, but declined to comment further.
An official for the lower house of Parliament rejected Abdullah's claim, saying it was aimed at hiding the government's failure to combat the insurgency and opium trade.
Afghanistan produced some 93% of the world's opium last year, bringing some $3 billion of illicit funds into the economy, fuelling corruption as well as funding the Taliban.
The UN said the Taliban made $100m from the drug trade last year.
Afghanistan's upper and lower houses are mainly a mixture of former anti-Soviet mujahideen leaders, ex-Communist officials and some members of the Taliban government overthrown by US-led and Afghan forces in 2001.
In an article published last month, the US government's former lead man in the fight against the Afghan heroin trade accused Karzai and his government of obstructing counter-narcotics efforts and protecting drug lords. Karzai strongly denies the charge.