Transcript Slide 1 - UNT Digital Library

OPIUM PRODUCTION IN
AFGHANISTAN: INTERNATIONAL
ISSUE PROPOSAL
Ian Richardson
International Studies Dept.
College of Arts and Sciences
Faculty Mentor: Todd Spinks
International Studies Dept.
Overview
• Problem Statement
• Literature Review
• Proposal
▫ Counter-Drug Teams (CDTs)
▫ Key areas of focus
▫ Key Assumptions
• Questions
boston.com
Problem Statement
• UNODC - Afghanistan grows more opium than
any other nation
▫ 157,000 hectares in 2008
▫ Helmand Province
• Sale of Opium funds the Taliban insurgency
▫ Approx $439 mil. in 2007
▫ Taliban have become fragmented and criminalized
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Afghanistan Opium Survey 2008.” http:www.unodc.org.
Peters, Gretchen. Seeds of Terror: How Heroin is Bankrolling the Taliban and Al Qaeda. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
Problem Statement
• Growth of legal crops is no longer feasible
▫ Economic limitations
▫ Infrastructure limitations
▫ Experience limitations
• Hawala – Informal financial networks
▫ Utilized by criminal periphery
▫ Difficulty monitoring flow of currency
Medler, James D. “Afghan Heroin: Terrain, Tradition, and Turmoil” Foreign Policy Research Institute, (Spring, 2005): 275-291.
Maimbo, Samuel Munzele. “Money Exchange Dealers of Kabul: A Study of the Hawala System in Afghanistan.” Finance and Private Sector Unit South
Asia Region. Washington, D.C.: World Bank, June 2003.
Literature Review
• Experts Agree:
▫ Links between Taliban and Opium traffickers are
genuine
▫ Extermination is not effective
• Several proposed solutions…
Literature Review
• “Security First” Mentality:
▫ Illicit activities flourish in insecure societies
▫ Security and rule of law should be the main
priority
▫ Opium issue should not be addressed until this is
achieved
• Can security be attained?
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. “Afghanistan Opium Survey 2008.” http:www.unodc.org.
Winer, Jonathan M. “Countering Terrorist Finance: A Work, Mostly in Progress.” The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science
no. 618 (2008).
Emery, James. “Opium, Afghanistan’s Other War.” The World and I 22, no. 10 (Oct 2007)
[1] Chouvy, Pierre-Arnaud and Laurent R. Laniel. “Agricultural Drug Economies: Cause or Alternative to Intra-State Conflicts?” Crime, Law and Social
Change 48 (2007)
Literature Review
• “Alternative Livelihood” Mentality
▫ Incentivize/Subsidize legal agriculture
▫ Build agricultural infrastructure
▫ Educate farmers on alternatives to Opium Poppy
• Problems:
▫ Indefinite subsidies
▫ Interferes with development of independent
Afghan economy
Medler, James D. “Afghan Heroin: Terrain, Tradition, and Turmoil” Foreign Policy Research Institute, (Spring, 2005)
International Crisis Group. “Countering Afghanistan’s Insurgency: No Quick Fixes.” Asia report no. 123, November 2, 2006,
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=4568.
Proposal
• Counter-Drug Teams
▫ Modeled after Afghan PRTs
• Structure of CDTs based on three key focus areas
▫ Targeting Criminals and Drug Traffickers
▫ Offering Alternative Crops
▫ Obstructing the Flow of Drug Money
Targeting Criminals and Drug Traffickers
• CIA, DEA, DoD
▫ Utilize technologies to pursue key individuals
▫ Create human networks to gather intelligence
▫ Kill or capture targets for trial in Afghan justice
system
• CDT Commander will be a senior military officer
Offer Alternative Crops
• USAID and USDA
▫ Provide funds and materials to rebuild
infrastructure and incentivize legal agriculture
▫ Provide expertise and education on effective and
responsible agricultural practices
Obstructing the Flow of Drug Money
• US Dept. of the Treasury, Office of Terrorism and
Financial Intelligence (OFTI)
▫ Locate, track and cut off lanes for illegal funds
▫ Cooperate with Hawaladars and local govs. to
update and formalize money lending
▫ Create a national Hawaladar licensing body
▫ Maintain traditional trust-based money lending
network
Key Assumptions
• Support of the Military
▫ Necessary for security, basing and transportation
• Personnel needs will be met
▫ Approx. 670 individuals (not including DoD)
• No further deterioration of security
▫ CDTs need a relatively secure environment
▫ Discretion of CDT Commander is crucial
• Price of Opium remains stable
▫ Spike in farm-gate prices
▫ Caches and stores must be located
Review
• Problem Statement
• Literature Review
• Proposal
▫ Counter-Drug Teams (CDTs)
▫ Key areas of focus
▫ Key Assumptions
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Questions?