Anti-corruption, the missing piece of U.S. counter narcotics strategy in Afghanistan

Includes bibliographical references (p. 49-52)This thesis examines the decade long struggle the United States and its allies have faced in the fight against the narcotics industry in Afghanistan. The analysis in this thesis examines the different U.S. governmental agencies and departments involved in the struggle against curbing narcotics trafficking out of Afghanistan. The analysis shows that through the many years spent, the billions of U.S. dollars spent, and the lives lost, the primary reason allowing narcotics to continue to be an essential part of Afghanistan is corruption. The data analyzed came from governmental reports, academic research, and from independent think tanks. It covered the different agencies and departments that combated the narcotics industry in Afghanistan. Through the analysis of the data, it is demonstrated that combating corruption should have been the primary facet of the U.S. counter narcotics policy for Afghanistan from the beginning