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

Russia Invades Afghanistan and Creates a New Narco-State:

Russian forces invaded and occupied Afghanistan in December of 1979. Prior to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan the country did not produce large amounts of opium. Surrounding countries such as Iran and Turkey were major producers of this drug. Jihad ensued in this country for the next twenty years. Mujahidin flocked to Afghanistan and is where many modern-day al Qaeda leaders trained to become the successful terrorists they are today. In order to combat the mujahidin, Russian military personnel destroyed legitimate agriculture that grew in Afghanistan. The consequences which arose out of these actions were a boom in the growth of poppy and a steady flow of resources to the mujahidin taking up arms against the Russian occupiers.

Afghan farmers were put in a predicament because of the destruction of their legitimate crops during the Russian occupation. “Unlike many other countries in the region, Afghanistan did not have much of an ‘opium culture’” (UNODC 2003). They were forced to turn to poppy as an alternative plant that would not be destroyed by the Russians. The 1979 invasion of Afghanistan “decimated” the legitimate agricultural economy in Afghanistan (Farrell and Thorne 2004). The Russians were trying to starve the mujahidin and the Afghan population into surrendering. As a result food supply dropped dramatically in the country. A vacuum ensued in the southwest Asian opium economy because of crackdowns by neighboring countries. Afghan farmers took advantage of this situation and “turned to subsistence farming of the opium poppy” (Farrell and Thorne 2004). Not only did the illicit opium market find a supplier, the mujahidin fighting against the Russians filled their financial void by using the drug trade to obtain weapons.

In recent history opium production has played a large role in illicit arms sales for the mujahidin, warlords, and terrorist organizations. Even during the 1980s a large sum of cash was produced to provide weapons for the struggle against the Russian occupiers. “There were indications that the mujahidin were using the production and sale of opium to finance some weapons needs” (UNODC 2003). Subsequently, the United States, in particular the Central Intelligence Agency, was another means of funding for the mujahidin’s purchasing of weapons. Opium is highly important to the global arms trade especially in Afghanistan. During the Russian invasion “Opium was one of the only commodities which could generate enough income for large scale arms purchases” (UNODC 2003). Mujahidin and tribal warlords leading the resistance against the Russians found an efficient means to combat the occupation forces. The ultimate defeat of the Russians was caused by their own hands. While a weak communist economy produced the retreat of occupying Soviet forces and its fall from superpowerdom, the Afghan struggle against the Soviet Union played a small factor in the ultimate destruction of the Soviet empire.

The United States and NATO forces have made similar mistakes that the Russians made in their invasion of Afghanistan. Illicit poppy production sustains the ability of al Qaeda to raise funds for future terrorist attacks and allows tribal warlords to recruit new mujahidin. Russia made the mistake by eradicating the wrong crop. They eradicated legitimate agriculture instead of illicit drug supplies. Throughout the rest of this project there will be some similar mistakes made by coalition forces and the Russians. Those mistakes will be displayed below.

Sources:

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).
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2003). The Opium Economy in Afghanistan: An International Problem.

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.

WELCOME TO FREETELLIGENCE

This will be my first post on the Freetelligence blog. It is a simple introduction to the page and how the blog will work. You might wonder what Freetelligence means. Freetelligence: The process of providing free, analyzed information for public consumption. Freetelligence intends to disseminate information to as wide an audience as possible. Information is critical to understanding the intricacies of a globalized world, where an individual can affect the world community.

Classified intelligence products hinder the public’s ability to gather and digest information. While there is a place within the government for classified information, open sources can be valuable in the analysis of information. This blog is a work in progress and I intend to provide readers with news updates and weekly analysis on the Middle East. I will also produce intelligence products concerning the Middle East. Intelligence products will follow the intelligence cycle of information collection, analysis, and dissemination. Information will come from open sources and will utilize blogs, open government sources, media, research papers, and interviews. Intelligence series will work in several different ways. Extensive reports (seven sections or more) will appear one section per day on the Freetelligence blog. Reports that have less than seven sections will appear every two days on the blog. A brief summary and table of comments will be provided before each new product is released. My first intelligence series is a working analysis on narco-terrorism in Afghanistan.

Narco-terrorism is a growing problem in Afghanistan as it is now (once again) the worlds largest producer of the poppy plant. Not only do narco-dollars fund terrorist organizations, but they help prop up war lords in Afghanistan. This analysis discuesses several flow-charts explaining the connection between drugs, warlords, and terrorist organizations. This nexus creates a dangerous situation for our soldiers and federal agents stationed in Afghanistan. Narco-dollars have also corrupted the Karzai government to dangerous levels. If the government of Afghanistan is not willing to address this problem, it will have to be a policy taken up by NATO and U.S Forces in Afghanistan. To leave this power grab unchecked will be a grave mistake for the future of Afghanistan.



Table of Contents

Introduction: August 13

Russia Invades Afghanistan and Creates a New Narco-State: August 14

Afghanistan Regains Largest Growth of Poppy Post
United State Military Invasion: August 15

Rise in Poppy Production: August 16

The Drug-Terrorism Cycle:

War lords and Terrorists at the Center of the Cycle: August 17

United States and NATO Forces at the Center of the Cycle: August 18


Global Consequences: August 19