Intelligence forum response

How does the connection between drug trafficking and terrorism in Afghanistan affect U.S. national security?

Drug Trafficking in Afghanistan affects the U.S. national security from many different aspects. This is due to the trafficking efforts both into the United States as well as out of the country. The support received for drug trafficking from Afghanistan supports terrorism efforts as well as the drug trade. This is a critical vulnerability for national security with drug trade as terrorists use the drug trade for financial support and in turn gives the security, intelligence, and law enforcement additional trails to follow in efforts to capture the individuals and impede or stop their operations. However, the money laundering and large monetary movement throughout the nation along with border crossing provides potential evidence for identification, interdiction, and targeting efforts on behalf of the individuals who work to protect our national security. Terrorist groups in some cases participate in each phase of the drug trafficking from cultivation to distribution. The annual total income from the drug trade for movements such as al‐Qaeda has been estimated by the U.N. to be 2.4 billion USD” (Hartelius, iii).

This allows the terrorist more control over in their stake of the drug trade and can be more harmful to United States as the cover for their operations is supplied in these actions. The drug trade also could exacerbate increases in criminal activity in the United States with major concerns to local law enforcement if assault weapons were a form of trade for drug trafficking services to gang organizations and their affiliates (NGIC, 2011). A current growing concern is the creation and use of tunnels used by drug cartels and coyotes for illegal immigrant smuggling. Terrorists can use the tunnels as well for terrorists to develop ratlines into the southwestern United States. The tunnels are an elusive target as one is identified two more are created to replace the discovery.

References:

Hartelius, Jonas. Narcoterrorism. Swedish Carnegie Institute, Stockholm, Sweden, 2008.

National Gang Intelligence Center, National Gang Threat Assessment. Washington, DC, 2011.