Counternarcotics Strategies: Effects on Afghanistan Hearts and Minds
Abstract
During December 1,2009 address at West Point, New York, President Obama delivered his intent to send 30,000 more service members to Afghanistan with a phased withdrawal beginning mid 2011. The deadline makes it critical for policy and operational leaders among the national instruments of power to work cohesively and comprehensively to stabilize Afghanistan. The contest in Afghanistan is a battle against an insurgency in which success depends on the ability of a centralized national government to win the hearts and minds of its people. The United States government and many regional experts have identified opium trade in Afghanistan as a major source of insurgency funding to fuel its operations. Because Afghanistan poppy cultivation, and its opium trade are deeply imbedded in the country's social and economic landscape, which impacts human security and the population's trust in its government, finding the optimal counternarcotics solution entails a profound understanding of a complex range of social and economic factors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 16, 2010
- Accession Number
- ADA600166
Entities
People
- Bret Stevens
Organizations
- Marine Corps University