Bound Volume Number
5
Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2015
Capstone Advisor
Dr. Nicholas Armstrong
Honors Reader
Dr. Corrinne Zoli
Capstone Major
Political Science
Capstone College
Arts and Science
Audio/Visual Component
no
Keywords
opium trafficking, Afghanistan, transnational crime organizations, terrorism
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Social Sciences
Subject Categories
International Relations | Near and Middle Eastern Studies | Other Legal Studies
Abstract
This paper provides insight into the issue of opium trafficking in Afghanistan. In 2014, despite U.S., Afghan, and international efforts since 2001, poppy-opium cultivation in Afghanistan reached an all-time high. The Afghan opium trafficking industry provides funding to terrorist groups and transnational crime organizations and is responsible for the continued corruption of government officials, police officers, and intelligence agents in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and other nations. Aside from increased corruption and funding of terrorists and criminals, the opium trade creates opium and heroin addicts out of men, women, and children across the globe. The history of how the opium problem reached its current state and an account of the methods previously attempted to combat the opium trade in Afghanistan is included in the paper. By looking at the past, the reader will gain an understanding of the level of success law enforcement efforts have achieved as compared to reliance on other approaches such as crop eradication, and alternative livelihood assistance. Acknowledging that this issue negatively affects many countries, I argue for the international community to cross current alliances and create and deploy a unified law enforcement counternarcotics force to work with Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, and surrounding nations to target the problem at the point of supply. This paper relies on information gathered from a variety of sources to provide a broad scope of perspectives including reports from the United Nations, the United States Government as well as books and articles from social scientists, journalists, and DEA agents.
Recommended Citation
Fantigrossi, Steven, "Afghan Narcoterrorism: The Problem, its Origins, and Why International Law Enforcement Should Fight It" (2015). Honors Capstone Projects - All. 850.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/850
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Included in
International Relations Commons, Near and Middle Eastern Studies Commons, Other Legal Studies Commons
