The Military's Role in Drug Interdiction is Headed for Failure
Abstract
This study takes on both the tasks of analyzing the drug war on the grand scale and the military's role in interdiction. The study begins with the nature of the drug problem and the history of military involvement in the drug war. On the grand scale, the pros and cons of various drug-war strategies are discussed. A strategy which would target the user and potential user seems to offer the most hope for success. However, such a strategy would require much time, patience, and money to win. In regard to military involvement, four potential problems are discussed: the problems with interdiction, the lack of training, organizational problems, and the lack of a meaningful measurement of merit. The author believes that these problems will not be sufficiently solved; therefore, the military's role in the drug war will not succeed. The last chapter offers recommendations for a grand strategy and for the military's role in the drug war. Among those recommendations is the wild-card strategy, which is a search for a cocaine substitute to be used for drug-abuse treatment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1989
- Accession Number
- ADA217476
Entities
People
- Robert W. Wade Jr.
Organizations
- Air War College