The New York Times reports that the brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai is being linked the the Afghani heroin trade. Ahmed Wali Karzai is being identified as running the heroin trade by the White House, U.S. State Department and the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan.

The allegations are surrounded by two key incidents. In 2004 outside of Kandahar, an Afghan commander stopped a track carrying heroin only to be later called, as he reported to the Times, by Wali Karzai informing him to release the shipment. When the commander protested he was called again with the same order, though this time from an aide to President Karzai.

Another event appears to tie Wali Karzai as well. In 2006 Afghani military accompanied by their American counterparts stopped a 110 pound shipment of heroin. Subsequent American investigations tied the shipment to a bodyguard believed to be a middle man for Wali Karzai.

Although the U.S. government has brought these findings to President Karzai, including in one C.I.A briefing, in the hopes that he would rein in his brother and evening make him leave the country, so far President Karzai has refused any such actions and has stood with his brother condemning the accusations as nothing more but an attempt to undermine his government.

And that is the American fear. U.S. officials have expressed concern that the perception of Hamid Karzai using the state to protect his brother’s illicit activities would undermine the already weak standing of the Karzai government with his people. But Karzai does have his reason for defending his brother. His retort to American officials has been: where is your proof? As of yet U.S. investigators have only turned up circumstantial evidence and close ties, but nothing concrete and directly tied to Wali Karzai that would be indisputable evidence. Until then Karzai plans to stay behind his brother.

Dismantling the Afghan drug trade has been a U.S. goal even prior to the invasion of the nation in October 2001. Although the trade declined in the late 1990’s thanks to American aid to the Taliban for compiling with its requests, since the invasion of the nation in 2001 the heroin trade has enjoyed a revival.