The Drug-Terror Cycle: How Afghanistan Poppy Production Fuels Global Terrorism

Introduction:

The United States is one of the leading global heroin markets in the world. “It is estimated that Americans have consumed from between 11 to 14 metric tons of heroin per year since 1993” (Bruen, Johnston, Rhodaes, Layne, and Kiling 2002). Heroin is one of the less significant used drugs in the United States as compared to marijuana and cocaine, but it is extremely toxic to the body and can surely cause death. There are an estimated 1.6 million or more Heroin users in the United States. Around 600,000 of these users were occasional users and around one million were hardcore users of this drug (see Rhodes, Layne, Bruen, Johnston and Bacchetti 2001). Users spend billions of dollars per year on heroin, which is funding the global Jihad in Afghanistan and elsewhere throughout the world. It is estimated that American heroin users spend between $39 and $79 billion per year. The bulk of the product enters the United States from Central America and Mexico, but there is some that enters the US from Southeast Asia, mainly Afghanistan.

Asian Heroin, especially Southeast Asian heroin, does not make up a significant amount of heroin found in the United States. However, there are minimal amounts that do reach our borders from Afghanistan and other Southeast Asian countries. The Northeast United States is especially affected by the influx of heroin produced from Afghan poppy production. “Although Asian heroin comprises less than 10 percent of the total flow, it accounts for over a quarter of the flow through the Northeast” (Bruen et al 2002). Most Afghan heroin is being distributed throughout the major cities in the Northeastern part of the United States.

Due to large and porous borders, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies have been ineffective in limiting the drug flow into the United States. In the year 2000 only 10 percent of the heroin that entered, or was intended to enter, the US was seized (see Bruen et al 2002). Because seizures are not taking place drug runners see the United States as a lucrative opportunity to make money. This fuels the global drug trade and contributes to the struggle against our soldiers in Afghanistan.

Percent of Heroin Ceased by United States Law Enforcement Agencies

Import Region 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000
Northeast US 5% 8% 7% 5% 10%
Southeast US 6% 8% 6% 5% 6%
Texas Plus 2% 3% 3% 4% 4%
California Plus Rest of US 2% 3% 2% 1% 4%
Rest of US 6% 8% 10% 6% 11%
National Total 4% 7% 5% 4% 6% Source Estimation of Heroin Availability 1996-2000. Executive Office of the President Office of National Drug Control Policy.

Afghanistan, post United States military invasion in 2001, has, once again, become the world leader in poppy production. Illicit Poppy production produces narcotics such as Heroin that is distributed throughout the world. Not only does the poppy plant poison society through drug addictions, it funds terrorism, war lords, and the former oppressive government of Afghanistan, the Taliban. Poppy production and the entities it supports may provide an extremely dangerous and unstable Afghanistan. An unstable Afghanistan may provide for a dangerous reality for the United States Military, Coalition forces, and NATO forces stationed in and around Afghanistan. This strategic intelligence analysis will provide information and the global consequences that will result in higher poppy production in Afghanistan. Finally, the analysis will provide recommendations to help decrease, and hopefully eliminate poppy production in Afghanistan.

Heroin in Afghanistan:

Year Era Comment
1979 Soviet Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused a rise in poppy production because
the invading army eradicated the food agriculture industry to starve the
mujahidin
1997 Taliban Afghanistan is becoming the global leader in poppy production because of
Turkish and Iranian Bans
2001 Taliban The Taliban instituted a strict ban on poppy production bringing its
Afghanistan’s production of illicit poppy down by 99 percent
2001 GWOT Global War on Terrorism begins with the Invasion of Afghanistan and
Operation Enduring Freedom. Poppy Production rises dramatically the
following year.
2006 NATO Afghanistan is the leading producer in illicit poppy once again and
contributes around 90 percent of the worlds opium supply.
2007 NATO Afghanistan is expected to boost its poppy production in the coming year.

Although not in large amounts, Poppy production has deep roots in Afghanistan. Its low lying valley regions provide fertile ground conducive to growing poppy. This production has been traced back to the 18th century, but, most certainly, can be traced to the mid 1920s. In 1974 Afghanistan was listed as a country in dire need of interdiction in its poppy production. Throughout that time Afghan farmers were aggressively growing poppy as Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey “enforced bans on their poppy production” (Farrell 2004). In 2001 the Taliban claimed that growing poppy was un-Islamic and enforced its policy by fiercely punishing poppy growers. The ban caused an extreme drop in the worlds poppy production.

Sources:

Bruen, Ann-Marie, Patrick Johnson, William Rhodes, Mary Layne, and Ryan King. (2002).
“Estimation of Heroin Availability 1996 – 2000” Office of National Drug Control Policy.
Farrell, Graham, and John Thorne. (2004). “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?: An Evaluation
of the Taliban Crackdown Against Opium Poppy Cultivation in Afghanistan.”
International Journal of Drug Policy 16(2005).
Rhodes, W., Layne, M., Bruen, A., Johnston, P., and Becchetti, L. (2001). What America’s users
Spend on Illegal Drugs 1988 – 2000. Report prepared for the Office of National Drug
Control Policy. Abt Associates Inc., December 2001.