Antonio Maria Costa, U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime executive director, recently released a report documenting Afghanistan's drug production levels. The report found there was a 19 percent drop in the amount of opium harvested since 2007. Costa says the drug trade in Afghanistan directly funds the terrorist insurgency.

Costa met with NATO Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer Wednesday to discuss NATO efforts to target Afghanistan opium farmers. Costa said that with a fall in opium cultivation, security could improve, NATO reported.

Officials say Costa has called on the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force to recognize the security link to opium production and to increase support for counter-narcotics efforts.

Costa suggested the ISAF "consider expanding its support to include destroying heroin labs and interdicting drugs convoys, which would further mitigate the drug problem and improve the security situation," the release said.

"We need to militarily regain control of the remaining provinces so that illicit activities are limited," Costa said in a statement.

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