Opium and Afghanistan
Subtitle: reassessing U.S. counternarcotics strategy
By: John A. Glaze.
Contributors: Army War College (U.S.). Strategic Studies Institute.
Series: Carlisle papers in security strategy
Publisher: Strategic Studies Institute, U.S. Army War College
Published: 2007
Place of publication: Carlisle, PA
Language: eng
Number of pages: 18
ISBN-13: 9781584873174
Subjects: Drug control -- Afghanistan.; Opium trade -- Afghanistan.; Drug traffic -- Afghanistan -- Prevention.; Narco-terrorism -- Afghanistan -- Prevention.; Afghanistan -- Politics and government -- 2001-
Other titles: Reassessing United States counternarcotics strategy
Description: Cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan has skyrocketed since the Taliban were toppled in 2001such that Afghanistan now supplies 92 percent of the world's illicit opium. The expanding opium trade is threatening to destabilize the Afghan government and turn the conflict-ridden country back into a safe haven for drug traffickers and terrorists. This paper examines the nature of the opium problem in Afghanistan and analyzes the allied strategy to counter this growing crisis. In analyzing the current counternarcotics strategy, it points out pitfalls including the counterproductive aspects of opium eradication. Finally, changes to the strategy are proposed, which include increasing troop levels and eliminating national restrictions, substantially increasing financial aid, deemphasizing opium eradication, focusing on long-term alternative livelihoods, aggressively pursuing drug kingpins and corrupt government officials, and exploring the possibility of Afghanistan's entry to the licit opium market.
Notes: "October 2007."

Includes bibliographical references (p. 14-18).
Table of contents: title: Background; title: Afghanistan's opium economy; title: Problems with Afghanistan's opium economy; title: Renewed Taliban/insurgency; title: Current counternarcotics strategy; title: Problems with current counternarcotics strategy; title: Recommendations; title: Conclusion.