Billions in cash smuggled out of Afghanistan

Worried about future security Afghans have smuggled out 8 billion dollars by car, private jet, and through border crossings. Although Afghans are now limited to taking only 20 ,000 out of the country no doubt that limit is regularly broken.

Khan Hadawal who is deputy governor of the Bank of Afghanistan said:"It's hard to estimate exactly how much is going out of Afghanistan, but I can tell you in 2011, 4.5 billion was (flown) out of Afghanistan," Much of the money goes to Dubai where many of the Afghan elite who benefit from the NATO occupation will probably retire if things go bad when NATO withdraws.

The article notes that there is some construction of new multimillion-dollar communities in Kabul hoping to convince Afghans to stay in Afghanistan. Apartments in one community will start at $ 70,000. Much of Kabul was destroyed by years of war.

Foreign aid keeps the Afghan economy running. If this aid dwindles or dries up many worry that the Afghan government and economy will not be able to sustain itself. For more see this article.