Ending the Military's Counternarcotics Mission
Abstract
Since 1989, the Department of Defense (DoD) has spent billions of dollars combating the illicit drug trade, with little to show for it. There are several possible reasons for the low return on investment of the U.S. military's counternarcotics efforts. One reason for this apparent failure is that the armed forces are not appropriately trained to combat criminals and criminal organizations. Another reason is that focusing on the supply side of the problem by combating narcotics production and trafficking has proven ineffective over the decades DoD has been engaged in the effort. A third reason for the apparent failure of the military's counternarcotics program is a lack of viable metrics. Finally, a far more controversial reason relates to the nature of the illicit drug problem. If illegal drugs and the narcotics production and trafficking organizations are actually social welfare and law enforcement challenges, rather than threats to national security, the military is arguably the wrong tool to counter them.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 03, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA561937
Entities
People
- Beth S. Wald
Organizations
- United States Army War College