Domestic Terrorism - Research Paper Example

? Domestic Terrorism Introduction Inarguably, terrorism is one of the greatest threats to international peace and security. Compared to other factors that threaten international peace and security, terrorism usually has multi-dimensional aspects. It entails, among others, the violent acts that are perpetrated for ideological, religious and political goals. As such, terrorism is a difficult challenge to address by national and international law enforcement agencies (Peters, 2009). Terrorist organizations have to raise money in order to finance their activities and achieve their goals. Since they are illegal, terrorist organizations often resort to illegal ways of financing their activities such as extortion, violent robbery, drug trafficking, kidnapping, and arms smuggling. In recent years, drug trafficking has emerged as the biggest income source for these organizations (Crews and Tarzi, 2008). A number of studies have shown that the link between terrorism and drug trafficking is strong particularly in countries that are either the hubs of terrorism planning and organization or the main target of terrorism. It is for this reason that drug lords create domestic terrorism against the United States troops and the indigenous Afghanistan population (Shanty, 2011). This paper will discuss how drug lords in Afghanistan create domestic terrorism against United States troops and indigenous population in Afghanistan. According to the American government and Afghanistan government officials, the profits from drug trafficking in Afghanistan was estimated to be about $3.2 billion in 2012. The bulk of this profit went to Taliban warlords, as well as other militants. It is estimated that Afghanistan is currently producing nearly 90 percent of the global supply of illegal opium and about 85 percent of the world’s heroin supplies and morphine come from the country (Piazzo, 2012). Opium is the largest cash crop in Afghanistan; in 2006local export revenues from the crop constituted about 35 percent of the nation’s gross national product. At the same time, opium production employed nearly 14 percent of the country’s population. While it is clear that opium production in Afghanistan is critical for the country’s economy, illicit opiate production and trade is considered by many policy analysts, media commentators, academics, and politicians as a crucial contributor to terrorism acts in the country targeting indigenous population and United States troops. The Afghan Taliban extremist group uses opiate drug revenues to finance itself, mainly by taxing refined products, stocks of harvested poppy, and drug crop cultivation (Peters, 2009). Typically, media sources report the Taliban resistance within the borders of Afghanistan, training camps within Pakistan borders, and daily opinions of United States troop conflicts with Taliban forces. However, there is little reporting in regard to drug lord territory and border control in Afghanistan, as well as the drug lord contribution to terrorist acts against the indigenous population and the United States troops within the borders of Afghanistan (Crews and Tarzi, 2008). Various investigations have revealed that drug trafficking significantly supports terrorism in today’s world, particularly after the United States invasion in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is no doubt that drug trafficking is a very lucrative business and it generates big profits that are used for illegal activities including supporting terrorism (Leu, 2008). Drug trafficking has extensively benefited from political, economic, social and technological. Al Qaeda, Sunni extremists, and Taliban are some of the terrorist organizations that significantly benefit from selling and shipping of illegal drugs. Investigations have found that the proceeds and profits realized from drug trafficking are usually laundered through certain legal business and pumped back to terrorist organizations and their associates who then use to fund terrorism (Dolan, 2005). The Afghanistan nation-state has been facing numerous challenges as regards state building and formation over the years. The production of opium and drug trafficking in general has been cited as one of the main challenges and which has considerably led to instability in the country (Shanty, 2011). This is because the drug proceeds support the Taliban in Afghanistan who in turn disrupts the efforts by the United States troops, as well as Afghanistan government efforts to maintain law and order. The drug economy, especially the opium economy in Afghanistan, threatens both the economic stability of country and undermines the efforts of state formation. Drug trafficking is deeply entrenched in Afghanistan state’s political structure (Leu, 2008). Therefore, its role in contributing to terrorist activities against the indigenous population and United States troops within the borders of Afghanistan cannot be ignored. Drug trafficking and its proceeds influence and determine Afghanistan’s local power structures, a situation which adversely impacts on the safety and security in the country. Drug trafficking activities cause instability in political institutions thereby undermining state security and the process of state formation in Afghanistan (Piazzo, 2012). Drug trafficking in Afghanistan, like in other countries, is a very lucrative enterprise that generates billion of dollars in profits that individual terrorists and terrorist organizations can easily tap. Taliban is a good example of a terrorist organization that not only benefits from proceeds of drug trafficking, but also is actively involved in drug trafficking and other illegal activities that supporting terrorism in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world (Peters, 2009). The problem of Afghanistan drug trafficking and its relationship with terrorism is evident in the country as well as in other countries such as Pakistan and Iraq. Afghanistan has been a main source of illegal drugs across the world and terrorist organizations including Taliban and al-Qaeda have been linked with drug trafficking in the country. Numerous investigations have found out that elements of Taliban have been shipping and selling illicit drugs into the country (Dolan, 2005). The Federal Bureau Investigation that was recently conducted led to arrest of 16 Pakistani and Afghan subjects for getting involved in drug trafficking that was linked to Taliban, as well as al-Qaeda. This examples serves to indicate how drug trafficking is greatly linked to terrorist activities against United States troops and indigenous population within the Afghanistan borders (Crews and Tarzi, 2008). A number of investigations on the role of drug trafficking in terrorism have revealed that illicit drugs produced and processed in Afghanistan were being shipped and sold in the United States. Profits that are realized from their sale are often laundered back through Afghanistan and Pakistan owned businesses and then used for terrorist activities (Shanty, 2011). Criminal and financial links to the Taliban regime have also been established; individual and organizations involved in drug trafficking and terrorism have also been found to engage in other unlawful activities such as mail/ document fraud, money laundering, and other white collar criminal activities (Piazzo, 2012). Investigations further reveal that while Taliban is considered as a terrorist group and its direct involvement in drug trafficking is quite limited; its ties are believed to engage in drug trafficking to raise funds for its activities. There are individuals and entities associated with Taliban in trafficking drugs in Afghanistan and even in the United States. Apart from drug trafficking being used to fund Taliban activities aimed against indigenous population and United States troops, it has also been established that the proceeds from drug trafficking are intended to further its political and terrorist agendas (Leu, 2008). The importance of drug trafficking economy to insurgent and terrorism activity in Afghanistan is driving the Afghanistan government and United States coalition security policy in that state. The need and strategy to enhance efforts to counter terrorism through counter narcotics methods is becoming a frequent theme in the United States Afghanistan security policy strategic briefings (Crews and Tarzi, 2008). The analysis by NATO and United States indicate that Afghan provinces with high drug trafficking levels and opium poppy cultivation such as Zabul, Oruzgan, Kandahar, and Helmand are also those recording the highest levels of insurgent and terrorist attacks. It is this analysis that informed the move by Afghan National Army collaborating with NATO forces to conduct a joint military offensive in 2010 in Helmand in order to clear the province of Taliban insurgents. Taliban forces had established quasi-governing institutions in Helmand (Peters, 2009). Therefore, the offensive was aimed at strengthening Kabul’s control over the province by disrupting Taliban taxation of opiate trafficking, which constituted the group’s mainstay revenues. These revenues, in turn, helped Taliban to pay Taliban foot soldiers and finance purchasing of arms to be used in terrorist acts against the indigenous population and United States troops (Shanty, 2011). Considering the important role that drug trafficking is playing in facilitating terrorism in Afghanistan, there is need to address the challenge of drug trafficking if the war against terror in the country is to be won. Fighting terrorism in Afghanistan can largely be won by combating drug trade (Dolan, 2005). Many NATO and United States officials are of the view that any efforts to rid Afghanistan of terrorists must include enhanced efforts in eradicating drug trafficking. Since it is not the official mission of international forces in the country to get rid of drug trafficking, the responsibility is in the hands of Afghan government to deal with the problem if the larger problem of terrorism in the country is to be solved (Crews and Tarzi, 2008). It is also important to point out that getting rid of drug trafficking in Afghanistan with the view of tackling the challenge of terrorism requires broader effort. It is widely recognized that Taliban are receiving funding from drug lords to commit acts against indigenous people and United States troops. If drug traffickers, who undermine security and are threatened by security, are not dealt with, then other plans to fight terrorism will come to naught (Shanty, 2011). One of the ways of fighting drug trafficking in the country is to create alternative income sources for the local population. Currently, they are relying mostly on poppy production and trade and therefore creating easier way for Taliban to infiltrate the production and trade process and obtain revenues to fund its activities. Other sources of income such as cultivation of wheat and vegetables should be facilitated and enhanced in order to reduce poppy trade and subsequently cut down levels of illicit trade in opium (Peters, 2009). Conclusion The above discussion clearly indicates that drug trafficking in Afghanistan is significantly contributing to terrorist acts against the indigenous population as well as U.S. troops within the borders of Afghanistan. As has been noted, drug trafficking in the country is a very lucrative enterprise and generates big profits often used in supporting terrorism. Taliban as a terrorist organization greatly benefits from the shipping and selling of illegal drugs. In addition, it has been noted that investigations reveal that the profits obtained from drug trafficking in the United States and other countries are usually laundered through some legal business and sent back to associates of Taliban who then use to fund terrorist activities. Since the threats posed by drug trafficking in Afghanistan and around the world particularly in respect to supporting terrorism is huge, there is need to enhance efforts of fighting drug trafficking and countering terrorism. While the Afghan government and United States coalition in the country are making some efforts towards addressing this challenge, there is need for more efforts to be put if the war on drug trafficking and terrorism is to be won. References Crews, R. D., & Tarzi, A. (2008). The Taliban and the crisis of Afghanistan. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. Dolan, C. J. (2005). United States’ Narco-Terrorism Policy: A Contingency Approach to the Convergence of the Wars on Drugs and Against Terrorism. Review of Policy Research, 22(4), 451-471. Leu, A. M. (2008). Fighting Narcoterrorism. JFQ: Joint Force Quarterly, (48), 56-60. Peters, G. (2009). Seeds of Terror: How Heroin Is Bankrolling the Taliban and al Qaeda. Thomas Dunne Books. Piazza, J. (2012). The Opium Trade and Patterns of Terrorism in the Provinces of Afghanistan: An Empirical Analysis. Terrorism and Political Violence, 24:213–234. Shanty, F. (2011). The nexus: International terrorism and drug trafficking from Afghanistan. Santa Barbara, Calif: Praeger Security International. Read More