The Nature of the Drug War
Abstract
During the 1988 presidential campaign, both candidates vigorously addressed the drug problem. Both candidates realized that the American public is becoming increasingly impatient with the incredible drug traffic into the United States and within our borders. They agreed that compulsive drug abuse threatens the social stability of the United States. Indeed, drug use poses a clear threat to United States national security. So inevitably one of many proposed solutions to this problem has been the use of our military resources to win the war on drugs. The Department of Defense has been charged with the task of formulating a detailed plan for use of United States military resources in drug war. In strategic terms, this war may best be viewed as a low-intensity conflict. And from the perspective of strategic planning, we must now consider the ways, means, and ends of successfully resolving the conflict. Likewise, we must as well view the conflict comprehensively: How can we eliminate the supply of drugs? But so long as the supply is available, how can we stop the flow of drugs from their source to their users? Most importantly, how can we reduce the demand for drugs? This study offers an analysis of the drug problem. It specifically focusses on how our military resources can best be employed to resolve the problem without detracting significantly from other, more conventional strategic missions of our armed forces. Keywords: Military operations; Drug trafficking; Law enforcement.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 31, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA208729
Entities
People
- Mark D. Brannen
Organizations
- United States Army War College