Narco-Jihad: Drug Trafficking and Security in Afghanistan and Pakistan, National Bureau of Asian Research, December 2009

EXCERPT: "This essay explores the interface of Islamic militancy with opium poppy cultivation and the drug trade in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region and draws implications for U.S. national security. It analyzes the evolution of the narcotics economy in the region since the late 1960s and the progressive involvement of various state and non-state actors in the economy since then, with particular attention to current Islamist jihadi networks in the region.  The essay also assesses the effectiveness of various counter-narcotics policies, especially since 2001, and evaluates the effectiveness of these policies not only with respect to the narrow goal of narcotics suppression but also with respect to counterinsurgency, counter-terrorism, state-building, and the stabilization of Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Read the full report.

Related articles:
Afghan opium fuels "global chaos", BBC News, 21 October 2009
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Russia to act against drugs, terror, DAWN, 27 June 2009
Official: Pakistan, Afghanistan unable to fight drug trafficking, Tehran Times, 20 May 2009
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran join in drug crackdown, Associated Press in ABC News, 11 March 2009

Related posts:
Pakistan Conflict Monitor Page: Drug Trade