Reassessing Drug Control Strategy: A New Opportunity
Abstract
The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 on the United States dramatically altered the nation's strategic security environment focusing attention not only on terrorism but also creating opportunities to reexamine other aspects of our security policy. The National Drug Control Strategy is one policy that bears renewed analysis and reassessment, specifically, the U.S. goal of breaking foreign sources of drug supply. This paper will examine current source zone interdiction and supply reduction goals, the ways and means applied by the U.S. in attempting to achieve success, and an analysis of why current strategy is inadequate. The paper concludes that the source zone supply reduction and interdiction strategy suffers fatally from ignorance of the market relationship between supply and demand; lack of unity of command and effort, no shared vision; and a failure to synchronize drug control strategy with other national security and economic policies. The author concludes that the problem of illegal drug usage is one that can only be adequately addressed by Americans in America through demand reduction. The drug control strategy should refocus resources on proven successful methods and achievable goals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 09, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA401854
Entities
People
- Gregory R. Dunlap
Organizations
- United States Army War College