Opium and Afghanistan: Reassessing US Counter-Narcotics Strategy

ABSTRACT
Cultivation and production of opium in Afghanistan have skyrocketed since the
Taliban were toppled in 2001 such that Afghanistan now supplies 92 percent of the
world’s illicit opium. The expanding opium trade is threatening to destabilize the
Afghan government and turn the conflict-ridden country back into a safe haven for
drug traffickers and terrorists. This paper examines the nature of the opium problem
in Afghanistan and analyzes the allied strategy to counter this growing crisis. In
analyzing the current counternarcotics strategy, it points out pitfalls including the
counterproductive aspects of opium eradication. Finally, changes to the strategy are
proposed, which include increasing troop levels and eliminating national restrictions,
substantially increasing financial aid, deemphasizing opium eradication, focusing on
long-term alternative livelihoods, aggressively pursuing drug kingpins and corrupt
government officials, and exploring the possibility of Afghanistan’s entry to the licit opium market