Rethinking Counterdrug Operations

Current counterdrug operations do not focus on the causal factors that lead to drug production. In fact, the focus on eradication and interdiction has undermined the counterinsurgency fight. A holistic approach that addresses the economic and security factors behind drug production has a better chance of long-term success. One such program recommended for Afghanistan would combine incentizing legal crops with opium purchase programs to slowly remove the economic incentive for opium production.