Journals / Uluslararası Hukuk ve Politika / 2012 / Cilt: 8 - Sayı: 29
The importance of historical understanding: Evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the current counter narcotics policy in Afghanistan
- Pages
- 109–141
- DOI
- —
Abstract
This paper evaluates the current United States counter-narcotics policiesthat are being implemented in Afghanistan. Understanding the culturaland historical landscape of Afghanistan is critical in being able to curb theproduction of opium and opium related products. The United Statesneeds to recognize that Afghanistan’s unique historical developmentrequires greater attention than it has been given. While U.S.-led coalitionforces may have good intentions, they are not appropriately familiar withthe cultural norms and attitudes of the civilians whose support they need.Policies that promote engaging in crop eradication and interdiction havenot yielded the results they originally intended, as earlier research hasshown. This paper recommends that U.S. counter-narcotics policy strictlyfollows the general accepted standards of international law whenconfronting opium production, and encourages intellectual discourse thatpromotes basic education standards in Afghanistan.
Özet
This paper evaluates the current United States counter-narcotics policiesthat are being implemented in Afghanistan. Understanding the culturaland historical landscape of Afghanistan is critical in being able to curb theproduction of opium and opium related products. The United Statesneeds to recognize that Afghanistan’s unique historical developmentrequires greater attention than it has been given. While U.S.-led coalitionforces may have good intentions, they are not appropriately familiar withthe cultural norms and attitudes of the civilians whose support they need.Policies that promote engaging in crop eradication and interdiction havenot yielded the results they originally intended, as earlier research hasshown. This paper recommends that U.S. counter-narcotics policy strictlyfollows the general accepted standards of international law whenconfronting opium production, and encourages intellectual discourse thatpromotes basic education standards in Afghanistan.