The drug mafia as a global force

© RIA Novosti . Sergey Venyavskiy / Go to the mediabankThe drug mafia as a global force
The drug mafia as a global force - Sputnik International
Subscribe
The structure of international relations has undergone a sea change in recent years: now, one of its features is that so-called non-state actors have greatly expanded their reach, to the detriment of the global situation.

The structure of international relations has undergone a sea change in recent years: now, one of its features is that so-called non-state actors have greatly expanded their reach, to the detriment of the global situation. Non-state actors are global political entities that act outside the realm of international law. They include extremist, radical and terrorist organizations, fundamentalist movements, criminal syndicates and commercial entities engaged in illegal activities. The international drug mafia is undoubtedly one of the most influential non-state actors in the world.

The drug mafia, as a non-state actor in global politics, is distinguished by its decentralized and networked structure. It is essentially indestructible because, like the Learnean Hydra of Greek mythology, for every head it loses, it grows two more. Like all businesses, its goal is simple and clear: to make the largest profit possible.

The drug mafia’s network now covers the entire globe. There are producer countries – Afghanistan (opium poppy) and ColumbiaMiddle East. The endpoint in the supply chain are the profitable markets of Russia, the European Union and the United States. (coca bush). Drugs from these countries are transported to consumer countries through transit regions – Central Asia, Central America and the Middle East.

The drug mafia leverages its enormous financial resources to gain influence (including political influence) in the regions critical to its business. It is closely linked with other criminal organizations, corrupt elites in various countries and the global financial system. Economic liberalization has been a boon to the drug mafia, as the modern global economy offers a host of opportunities for money laundering.

In a number of cases, the drug mafia enjoys considerable public support, and any efforts to fight it could provoke a backlash of popular anger. This is why the powerful NATO-led coalition focuses on counter-terrorism in Afghanistan and shies away from taking on Afghan drug producers. The recent attempt of Jamaican authorities to arrest drug lord Christopher Coke vividly shows what can happen in this case. The confrontation between his supporters and police resulted in heavy street fighting in Kingston.

The example of Afghanistan

However, it would be wrong to draw parallels between Jamaica and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a unique case. It is, in effect, the world’s only narco-state, and as such, it warrants special attention. The lion’s share of revenue in the Afghan economy comes from the production of heroin, the world’s most dangerous drug. The country’s black market is several times bigger than its legal economy. Opium poppy is cultivated in the regions with the best climate and carefully guarded laboratories process raw opium into pure heroin.

Drug-related exportation and importation are carried out on a massive scale. Large amounts of precursors (acetic anhydride, hydrochloric acid, acetone, etc.) are brought into Afghanistan in order to process heroin. The finished product is then shipped outside the country.

The drug mafia plays a special role in Afghanistan, and it is aided in its criminal activities by the Taliban (which destabilizes the country and weakens the central government), government officials (who have business ties with drug lords) and the NATO-led coalition (which prefers to turn a blind eye to the problem). As a result, the political system that has taken shape in Afghanistan can be described as a form of drug-fueled military feudalism in which real power belongs exclusively to local warlords, who are closely involved with drug trafficking.

This is fertile ground for the drug mafia. Economically, it stands to gain from the destabilization currently plaguing Afghanistan. But the drug lords are never content. They are always interested in expanding their business. This is a cause for concern in the important transit countries in Central Asia. By buying off local authorities and forming relationships with the local communities and businesses, the drug mafia is securing its foothold in this strategically important region. The interests of this non-state actor would be best served by the continuation of Afghanistan’s problems and the further destabilization of the current Central Asian regimes.

Terrorism is a consequence, not a cause

In light of these circumstances, the counter-terrorist operation launched in Afghanistan in the wake of the September 11th attacks has lost all meaning. The drug mafia will provide the Taliban and Al-Qaeda with unlimited funds to maintain its position in the country. Fighting them will become nothing more than a battle with windmills. To win the war against terrorism in Afghanistan, we must first deal a blow to its deeply entrenched drug mafia. This will require an effective combination of force, on the one hand, and social and economic measures on the other. We need more sophisticated military tactics, as well as a greater emphasis on gathering and analyzing information on the production and export of drugs, the destruction of poppy fields and heroin labs, intercepting caravans with drugs and precursors and neutralizing and eliminating the owners of drug plantations, most of whom stay far away from Afghanistan.

We must also work toward economic renewal in Afghanistan and the creation of a normal economy to replace the current feudal-criminal economy. We forget the experience of the Soviet modernization of Afghanistan in the 1980s at our peril. That being said, we must not repeat Soviet mistakes born of a misunderstanding of the Afghan mindset. Unfortunately, the anti-terrorist coalition is mostly engaged in destructive activities in Afghanistan. They appear not to realize that their actions are only aggravating an already difficult situation, swelling the ranks of terrorist supporters and providing fresh recruits for the drug business, which is essentially the sole source of income for ordinary Afghans.

Dialogue – the first step toward a solution

There is always the easy way out – to hypocritically close one’s eyes to the problem. This tactic will work for a while, but when the abscess finally bursts it will be much more difficult (if not impossible) to deal with the consequences. Concealing the true nature of Afghanistan’s problems will only make matters worse in the long run.

The international community should initiate an open dialogue to find a solution to the Afghan crisis. This process must be rooted in a clear understanding of the fact that the terrorist threat in Afghanistan is now second to the drug threat.

What Afghanistan and the world need is a serious campaign against Afghan heroin aimed at destroying the drug trade and an international plan to ensure Afghanistan’s progress and economic renewal. Any other path in Afghanistan could lead to a continent-wide disaster.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author's alone and do not necessarily represent those of RIA Novosti.

 MOSCOW (Alexei Pilko, Ph.D. in History, for RIA Novosti)

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала