More documantation on these issues can be found at my blog, LeftIndependent
“The international traffic in illicit drugs contributes to terrorist risk through at least five mechanisms: supplying cash, creating chaos and instability, supporting corruption, providing “cover” and sustaining common infrastructures for illicit activity, and competing for law enforcement and intelligence attention. Of these, cash and chaos are likely to be the two most important.” Congressional Research Service, “Illicit Drugs and the Terrorist Threat: Causal Links and Implications for Domestic Drug Control Policy” 2004
The report concluded; “American drug policy is not, and should not be, driven entirely, or even primarily, by the need to reduce the contribution of drug abuse to our vulnerability to terrorist action. There are too many other goals to be served by the drug abuse control effort.”
The chaos and anarchy of prohibition funded stateless terrorist armies is then accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
“Of the 36 groups designated by the State Department as foreign terrorist organizations, 14 (or 39 percent) are connected to drug activities, testified Steven W. Casteel, assistant administrator for intelligence of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
He said they range from Middle Eastern terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, the Shining Path in Peru and the Abu Sayyaf Group in the Philippines.” Hatch Links Drugs, Terrorism, 21 May 2003, The Daily Herald
Accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
For more than ten years our government has known that alQaida is using heroin as a weapon against the west to destabilize western culture. “That’s part of their revenge on the world,” Kerry said. “Get as many people drugged out and screwed up as you can.” U.S. Sen. John Kerry 21 Sept. 2001
Accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
“Since the mid-1990s, the prevalence of lifetime heroin use increased for both youths and young adults. From 1995 to 2002, the rate among youths aged 12 to 17 increased from 0.1 to 0.4 percent; among young adults aged 18 to 25, the rate rose from 0.8 to 1.6 percent.” 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
“Incarceration rates climbed in the 1990’s and reached historic highs in the past few years. In 1995, 16 percent of black men in their 20’s who did not attend college were in jail or prison; by 2004, 21 percent were incarcerated. By their mid-30’s, 6 in 10 black men who had dropped out of school had spent time in prison.” New York Times, Plight Deepens for Black Men, Studies Warn March 2006
Accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
“The addictive nature of many of these drugs, their high price, and their illegality play a role in more than half the street crime in the United States.” Drug Control: International Policy and Options Congressional Research Service 2002
The addiction can be treated better with a public health response, the price is a function of the illegality so street crime too is the accepted collateral damage of the drug war.
Most of these problems could actually be controlled with democratic institutions of regulation, taxation and licensing of the drug markets but American politicians, police and American culture war drug war proponents just say no!