The Militarys Role In Drug Interdiction Can Be Successful

This study takes on both the tasks of analyzing the drug war on the grand scale and the military's role in interdiction. The study begins with the nature of the drug problem and the history of military involvement in the drug war. On the grand scale, the pros and cons of various drug-war strategies are discussed. A strategy which would target the user and potential user seems to offer the most hope for success. However, such a strategy would require much time, patience, and money to win. In regard to military involvement, four potential problems are discussed: the problems with interdiction, the lack of training, organizational problems, and the lack of a meaningful measurement of merit. The author believes that these problems will not be sufficiently solved; therefore, the military's role in the drug war will not succeed. The last chapter offers recommendations for a grand strategy and for the military's role in the drug war. Among those recommendations is the wild-card strategy, which is a search for a cocaine substitute to be used for drug-abuse treatment.

This study takes on both the tasks of analyzing the drug war on the grand scale and the military's role in interdiction. The study begins with the nature of the drug problem and the history of military involvement in the drug war. On the grand scale, the pros and cons of various drug-war strategies are discussed. A strategy which would target the user and potential user seems to offer the most hope for success. However, such a strategy would require much time, patience, and money to win. In regard to military involvement, four potential problems are discussed: the problems with interdiction, the lack of training, organizational problems, and the lack of a meaningful measurement of merit. The author believes that these problems will not be sufficiently solved; therefore, the military's role in the drug war will not succeed. The last chapter offers recommendations for a grand strategy and for the military's role in the drug war. Among those recommendations is the wild-card strategy, which is a search for a cocaine substitute to be used for drug-abuse treatment.

Public disappointment over the perceived failure of the United States Government to Win the 'War on drugs' has led to speculation that the immense resources and capabilities of the military could be utilized to effect a victory against the scourge of drugs. The Department of Defense was subsequently named in 1989 as the lead agency for detection and monitoring of air and maritime transport of illegal drugs into the United States. This role already had international ramifications, as military assets has been deployed in order to support the counter-drug capabilities of drug-producing nations. However, this role for the military has repercussions which were problematical. A traditional, analytical methodology was utilized in examining the results and consequences of the international role of the U.S. military in drug interdiction. The results showed that the present utilization of military resources, though successful in accomplishing their detection and monitoring mission, was largely ineffective in stemming the flow of drugs into the United States. jg.