Counternarcotics strategy for afghanistan focused on strengthening the afghan governments capacity to combat the drug trade, counter the link between narcotics and the insurgency, and disrupt drugrelated funding to the insurgency. Us and afghan planes last year conducted a series of air strikes on drug labs that were being used to process. Schweich, principal deputy assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs testimony before the middle east and central asia subcommittee and the oversight and investigations subcommittee of the house committee on international relations washington, dc. Among the topics addressed were operations in southern regions of the country. Despite the freeflow of american tax dollars to combat the crisis, opium production rose 43% in the islamic nation, to an estimated 4,800 tons, and approximately. In 2004, the g8 designated britain to lead counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan.
The senate caucus on international narcotics control held a hearing on counter narcotics operations in afghanistan. In remarks last month at the wilson center in washington, d. Oct 29, 2014 the office of the special inspector general for afghanistan reconstruction sigar has released a scathing report criticizing u. The afghanistan poppy eradication campaign and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
Success generally requires sustained, long term efforts, so that our partners can develop the necessary capabilities to deliver real results. The prospects for achieving significant results in counter narcotics after the usnato withdrawal in 2014 are dim unless major armed conflict comes to an end a goal likely to be achieved only. Dec 17, 2005 the ministry of counter narcotics shall provide policy coordination for the government of afghanistans counternarcotics activities and programs in cooperation with the ministries, independent bodies, and other relevant organizations. In afghanistan, inl partners with the drug enforcement administration dea and the department of defense to build the capacity of the counter narcotics police of afghanistan. Senate caucus on international narcotics control hearingfuture u. Nato support to counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan eliminating the illicit production of opium in afghanistan is vital to the longterm security, development and effective governance of afghanistan. For much of its eightyear tenure, the bush administrations counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan were focused on destroying the vast fields of poppy that have long been the source of the. The chapter assesses us efforts to construct afghanistan s legal system.
Counter narcotics has moved quickly to advance policy and guidelines, as per its mandate. Narcotics have been a significant presence in afghanistan. Accounts from the black hawk counter narcotics infantry kandak team in helmand province. Mentor the deputy minister for counter narcotics regarding implementation of afghanled initiatives related to strategic boards and monitoring and evaluation systems for a widerange of efforts that include, but are not limited to security for the populations, counter narcotics, law enforcement and counter crime, strategic communications, human. Despite this investment, afghanistan remains the worlds largest opium producer, and opium poppy is the countrys largest cash crop. The ministry of counter narcotics of afghanistan as a policy making body is leading and coordinating all counter narcotics efforts in the country andis making every effort to eliminate the opium economy in the country including through the development and implementation of new programs and initiatives and the revision of the current laws and. Sep 20, 2017 against this backdrop, david mansfields book, a state built on sand. The production and trafficking of narcotics in afghanistan is a devastating threat to the stability of both afghanistan and the surrounding region. The counter narcotics effort that has been part of the 18yearold u. President trump announces major drug interdiction effort.
According to a forthcoming book by alfred w mccoy, titled in the. It examines the existing strategy and provides recommendations regarding counternarcotics efforts to consider moving forward. Narcotics control hearing on january 15, 2014, entitled future of u. The counter narcotics police of afghanistan cnpa is specialist force under the afghan ministry of interior affairs created in 2003. The following excerpt introduces a book chapter produced. Its threeyear eradication policy was designed specifically not to alienate the local population. Us antinarcotic effort in afghanistan is a costly failure. Aans jelena bjelica looks back at the us counternarcotics policies in.
The counter narcotics police of afghanistan is still far from achieving the seizure rate witnessed in other producing countries, but police have nevertheless tripled their effectiveness over recent. Origins and structure of the drug economy in afghanistan an effective program to eliminate or reduce the opium economy in afghanistan must be based on an understanding of both the harm that it has done and the function it has played. Kandahars top counternarcotics cop, ahmadullah alizai, put it this way. The senate caucus on international narcotics control held a hearing on counternarcotics operations in afghanistan. Future us counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan sigar. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan wednesday, january 15, 2014prepared statement of cochairman chuck grassley of iowa madam chairman, thank you for holding this hearing to followup on our two previous hearings about counter narcotics programs in afghanistan. In fact, cultivation is now twenty times the level it was when the taliban were last in power. This essay explores the interface of islamic militancy with opium poppy cultivation and the drug trade in the afghanistan pakistan region and draws implications for u. United states counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan. The afghan governments erdication efforts have been negligible since 2014. James hartman senior advisor to deputy minster of counter. It should be stressed that the report can only make guesstimates about the economic impact of afghan narco trafficking. Ministry of counter narcotics afghanistan archives embassy.
At the same time, afghanistan s counter narcotic institutions, also with the support of unodc. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan internet archive. Counterinsurgency, counternarcotics, and illicit economies in. Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, at the outset, i would like to thank the unodc for its invaluable support to our counter narcotics efforts including the production of the afghanistan opium survey which stands as a prime example of technical support provided by the unodc to afghanistan. Ministry of counter narcotics afghanistan archives. The guest talked about the international counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan, as well as the connection between opium harvesting and the funding of terrorism. Afghan opium crop at fresh high as foreign troops withdraw. Counternarcotics strategy in afghanistan brookings institution. From control and elimination efforts to a drug economy and bombing labs, and is available on the csis website here. On the surface the effort to deploy naval assets to the caribbean and southern pacific is justified based on intelligence drug cartels will exploit the coronavirus pandemic to ship more narcotics into the. Intelligence key to counterdrug efforts signal magazine.
Eradication and interdiction united states department of. Counternarcotics policy in afghanistan may benefit. Agency for international development usaid have stated they have no counter narcotics mission in afghanistan, or plans to implement one. United states counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan have always been strictly subordinated to the u. Are the british counternarcotics efforts going wobbly robert b. The drug trade in afghanistan, which helps fund the insurgency and impedes reconstruction efforts, has grown stronger despite billions of dollars spent by. Include transitional assistance for afghanistan s macroeconomic balance in counter narcotics efforts. Drug treatment is another area where the afghan government and civil society are making significant progress. Us antinarcotic effort in afghanistan is a costly failure, official report finds. The drug violence nexus in afghanistan and elsewhere in the world is the domain of my work, the subject of my forthcoming book, shooting up. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan february 5, 2014 chairman roslehtinen, ranking member deutch, and distinguished members of subcommittee, on behalf of administrator leonhart and the drug enforcement administration dea, i appreciate your invitation to testify today regarding deas counternarcotics cn. Counter narcotics to stabilize afghanistan 5 during 20072008, raw opium production in afghanistan reached a record level of an estimated 8,200 tons. Jan 15, 2018 aans jelena bjelica looks back at the us counternarcotics policies in afghanistan, to assess how effective this new approach might be. Candidates for the 5week long counter narcotics course must have completed an 8week basic police course and are carefully selected.
The numberone prerequisite for success in afghanistan with respect to narcotics is security. Despite the freeflow of american tax dollars to combat the crisis, opium production rose 43% in the islamic nation, to an estimated 4,800 tons, and approximately 201,000 hectares of. From control and elimination efforts to a drug economy and bombings labs. The office of the special inspector general for afghanistan reconstruction sigar has released a scathing report criticizing u. In testimony before the senate caucus on international narcotics control, vanda felbabbrown discussed how narcotics production influences the security, political, and economic developments in afghanistan. Jun 14, 2018 poppy cultivation in afghanistan hit a record high last year, a us government watchdog has said, describing americanfunded counternarcotics efforts in the wartorn country as a failure. Afghanistan s drug trade presents a vexing challenge for policy makers in what has become americas longest war. How opium undermined afghanistan, offers an invaluable analysis of the complex socio. The ministry leads the coordination, policy making, monitoring and evaluation of all counter narcotics activities and efforts. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan january 15, 2014. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan fail to deliver olivia enos no. In january 20, dea and the interagency community developed an updated u.
Unodc, annual opium survey 2017 following the afghan presidential elections of 2014 and the withdrawal of most us combat forces in december of that year, the counter narcotic efforts seemed to enter into a lull. Trump says us will increase counter narcotics efforts in east pacific, caribbean. Afghanistans drug trade presents a vexing challenge for policy makers in what has become americas longest war. The white house will unveil a new strategy that calls for devoting significant new resources to counter narcotics efforts in afghanistan and economic development in pakistan. The lack of such a strategy all but guarantees that the financial, criminal. The success or failure of drug control efforts is critical to president obamas plan for afghanistan, where he hopes an increase in troops will deliver a blow to the resurgent militants of the. Officials in the opium trade is frustrating efforts to eradicate poppy fields. How corruption blunts counternarcotic policies in afghanistan. Afghan opium crop soars to new high, fueling taliban forces. Earlier today president trump and defense secretary esper announced a major deployment of u. Both countries experienced unprecedented levels of terrorism as well. Asff is primarily used to develop the afghan national army and police, including the counter narcotics police of afghanistan cnpa and the special mission wing smw, which support the counternarcotics efforts of the ministries of defense mod and interior moi. In order to be successful and sustainable, counter narcotics efforts must finally break out of their insular, silo approach.
The guest talked about the international counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan, as well as the connection between opium harvesting and the funding of terrorism. Uncle sams embarrassing counter narcotics effort is part of a broader and costly failure involving the reconstruction of afghanistan. War on drugs in afghanistan total failure, watchdog says. Counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan fail to deliver. In this effort, citizen leaders go to school in a program that educates community leaders in the key issues that affect antidrug operations. There is a particular focus on support for two specialized units mentored by dea. The ministry of counter narcotics of afghanistan as a policy making body is leading and coordinating all counter narcotics efforts in the country andis making every effort to eliminate the opium economy in the country including through development and implementation of new programs and initiatives and the revision of the current laws and. Charles, assistant secretary for international narcotics and law enforcement affairs testimony before the house committee on government reform subcommittee on criminal justice, drug policy, and human resources washington, dc april 1, 2004 remarks at hearing. The cnpa is the lead agency for counter narcotics investigations in afghanistan and has an establishment of some 3000 officers. Include transitional assistance for afghanistans macroeconomic balance in counternarcotics efforts. Narcotics have been a significant presence in afghanistan since the 1500s. Counternarcotics archives embassy and permanent mission of. Chairman feinstein, cochairman grassley, and distinguished members of the caucus on international narcotics control, on behalf of administrator leonhart and the drug enforcement administration.
Finally, there is a discussion of the vexed issue of democracy promotion in afghanistan, which includes us attempts to facilitate a centralized model of national governance. Opium poppy cultivation in afghanistan, 1994 2017 hectares. In the same period, the talibanled insurgency supported by alqaida spread to new areas of afghanistan and pakistan. Officials testify about the future of counternarcotics efforts in afghanistan. Since 2007, this effort has been led by the afghan ministry of counter narcotics, which plans, implements, and monitors the program, with support and oversight from the united states. Growth of poppies and processing into opiates like heroin is widespread in afghanistan, since it is more profitable than any other business in that wartorn country. The drawdown of international troops carries the risk of a spike in drug production. Not clear whether it includes military intervention extratopical, so we have arguments against that specifically, as well as against stopping counter narcotics efforts generally. Counternarcotics, law and governance us nationbuilding. If we ignore the drug problem in afghanistan, we will fail in afghanistan. Only massive economic investment in afghanistan and wise patience not to demand immediate visible measures of the success of counter narcotics policies can produce a decrease in afghanistan. Narcotics production and counternarcotics policies in afghanistan are of. The war on drugs and angloamerican relations reveals the inside story of british and american efforts to.
A diverse, wellcoordinated set of programs to support afghan counter narcotics capacity, with support from across the interagency and our partners here on the hill, will be necessary. If the afghan government is going to defeat the taliban and other insurgent and extremist elements, it must win at both the military and civil levels. However, premature and inappropriate counternarcotics efforts greatly complicate counterterrorism and counterinsurgency objectives, and. The drug enforcement administration is applying actionable intelligence to local counterdrug efforts through a special outreach program. Mohammad osman frotan, director general, policy and plan abdul khaliq mahjoob, director, projects directorate alternative livelihoods dr. Despite concerted efforts to tackle the drug problem in afghanistan, the industry continues to grow at an alarming rate. Mar 26, 20 narcotics production and counter narcotics policies in afghanistan are of critical importance not only for drug control, but also for the security, reconstruction, and ruleoflaw efforts in. Part of the lecture notes in computer science book series lncs, volume 6589. Counternarcotics archives afghanistan embassy in vienna. If the drug problem is not taken more seriously by aid, development and.