WikiLeaks disclosed a January 7, 2010, State Department document, which claimed that Treasury Department Acting Assistant Secretary of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis Howard Mendelsohn “stated that the Taliban receives significant money from narcotics trafficking and extortion, but noted that the U.S. believes that the group also receives significant funds from the Gulf, particularly from donors in Saudi Arabia and the UAE [United Arab Emirates]. He further stated that the Taliban and Haqqani [insurgent] Network are believed to earn money from UAE-based business interests.”
– “US Embassy Cables: Taliban/Haqqani fundraisers sneaking into Saudi Arabia,” The Guardian (courtesy Wikileaks), Dec. 5, 2010