1. Afghan Narcotrafficking: A Joint Threat Assessment
- Author:
- Jacqueline McLaren Miller
- Publication Date:
- 11-2013
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- EastWest Institute
- Abstract:
- More than a decade after the United States and allied troops began military operations in Afghanistan, the country remains a major conflict zone. Afghanistan's continuing instability constitutes the largest security issue in the region. The country's role as the center of global opiate production contributes heavily to this instability. The grave social, economic, political, and security implications of the trafficking of the Afghan opiates extend beyond the regions of South, Southwest, and Central Asia. The opium economy in Afghanistan has become deeply entrenched and shows no signs of declining. Inside Afghanistan, narcotrafficking contributes to insecurity and feeds corruption, warlords, and insurgents. All this vastly complicates the prospects of the Afghan central government consolidating its power and effectively governing. Compounding these issues is the scheduled withdrawal of NATO forces from Afghanistan in 2014 and the ongoing drawdown of U.S. troops.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Security, War on Drugs, Counterinsurgency, and Narcotics Trafficking
- Political Geography:
- Afghanistan, United States, and Central Asia