At first glance, the link between drugs and terrorism may seem insignificant or even inexistent. However, the gravity of the situation is real as has been highlighted by the United Nations Security Council. It is common knowledge that the sale of illicit drugs brings about a healthy cash flow to individuals at the top of the chain. Nevertheless, how this money is spent or most importantly where it ends up is not well known by even authorities themselves. This is where the United Nations Security Council articulates that drug money more frequently than not is used to fund terrorist activities. While such terror activities may not be directly politically motivated, they remain forms of terrorism either way. In truth, there is enough evidence of the link between drugs and terrorism. However, a deeper understanding is necessary if authorities will indeed form effective strategies to curb it.
Narco-terrorism involves attacks by drug cartels in cocaine trafficking battling with authority and their fellow competitors. Furthermore, such violence entails the most extremist of actions. Durbin links drug cartels to having political intentions towards engaging in drug dealing to finance their operations (2013). Such groups incorporate advanced weapons as well as technology to their missions to root authority by whatever means possible. Some of these include the technology of establishing tunnels and acquisition of not only numerous weapons but some of the most advanced types. With regards to instilling fear, ruthless forms are exploited like beheadings. The approach of bribery works entirely well as they have managed to corrupt numerous government officials, and military to succeed in their line of work. When one group is extinguished another swiftly fills in the gap as it is the case with the Mexico cartels replacing one another. Ultimately, greed for money or even power precedes all since they perceive the two aspects as symbols of prosperity (Durbin, 2013).
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Since the 1990s, the capacity of drug cartels in Mexico has dramatically progressed mainly because of the drop of the primary Colombian drug dealers that initially dominated the Western drug market. Campbell and Hansen depict Mexico as one of the states that have failed as it is wracked by terrorism resulting in extreme violence (2014). In fact, between the year 2006 and 2012, the country's drug ‘war' resulted in approximately 100,000 mortalities (Campbell & Hansen, 2014). The authors point out at least three aspects of narco-violence that ought to be considered terrorism. First, drug-terror as a strife for control of regional politics. Second, a vicious operation ordered by leaders on drug trafficking other than unprompted attacks by foot soldiers. Lastly, drug-terror as an extensive strategy to other sorts of organized felonies from only drug trafficking (Campbell & Hansen, 2014).
Cooperation between both terror groups and drug cartels is motivated by both intangible and tangible resources. Whereby, tangible resources entails an instance of the narcotics groups providing vast amounts of funds to extremists’ organization in exchange for accessing explosives and firearms that may be beneficial to them. Intangible motivators for these collaborations on the other include elements of operability as well as survival. Typically, drug traffickers are well knowledgeable of approaches and routes for illegal shipments and transit of drugs, and hence this can be exploited by extremists to for goods as well as the movement of personnel. In turn, narcotics can gain from the expertise of weaponry and technological skills possessed by extremists (Bjo¨rnehed, 2004). Levitt suggests extremist groups such as Hizbullah engage in the drug trade to access tactics for fundraising for its operations (2010). The author shows that whenever Hizbullah was investigated there were always links to drugs. Also, this group relied on the same cartels for weapon smuggling. According to Levitt, entry of these groups into the drug trafficking is mainly a dimension of border insecurity (2010). In general, harmonious cooperation by the two groups benefits both their illegal activities fairly well.
On another note, the link between drugs and terrorism only exists whereby the presence of drug crops and consequently cash gained from trafficking are abundant. In fact, the study depicts the connection as massive to myriad specifications. The findings indicate that a deprivation of financial sources provided for terrorists by narcotics can significantly decline the activity. More so, improvement of policing as well as government control across borders particularly over regions growing drug crops would also see a substantial decline of such collaborations ( Bjo¨rnehed, 2004) . However, according to Gomis narco-terrorism poses complex challenges (2015). This is to say that attempts to solve the problem directly have the potential to bring about severe consequences. Some of these repercussions come in the form of neglect of other pressing matters like human and weapon smuggling as well as distortion of policy priorities. The study mentions that responding to such hurdles which are connected to politics and economics can also be detrimental to societies and in sometimes nations; Colombia in the 1990s is an epitome. Such actions can play in favor of terrorists with potential counterproductive impacts especially when there is exploitation of misguided policies and the differences in motives are underestimated.
Stiglitz’s study also shows that some interdiction strategies can bring about adverse effects to a country through discussing the U.S. government involvement in the Iraq war (2008). The actual cost of the war incurred more than three trillion dollars. Consequently, the war brought about a large macroeconomic effect. Most of the government revenue was diverted from areas that would have positively triggered the U.S economy such as schools, research, infrastructures. In fact, the country went to the extent of financing the war with deficits and this lead to further deterioration of the economy. Further, there was a massive increase in the oil prices from about $25 to $100 for each barrel yet the cost had been initially estimated to stay at about 23 dollars for at least ten years.
On the flip side, Holmberg acknowledges globalization of the economy as a facilitator of formation networks between extremists and narcotics (2009). Holmberg suggests that the appropriate measure to combat these collaborations would be the cooperation of nations to share financial information and intelligence as well as stabling a uniformed methodology to break up the ties (2009). The author also mentions the betterment of the policies as an effective start to curb the emerging threat. In this case, since there is no single policy addressing mitigation of narco-terrorism, this would include aspects like the proper definition of the menace and handling of assets of these organizations. The author firmly believes that working together would significantly enhance security aspects globally (Holmberg, 2009).
The link between drugs and terrorism may be directly correlated or prove nothing more than a faint association. On the contrary, the threat of narco-terrorism is real and should be treated with utmost seriousness not only from the authorities but the public in general. While it is fairly important to acknowledge and comprehend the association, no progress can be made if no effective actions are instituted to stop it.
References
Björnehed, E. (2004). Narco-Terrorism: The Merger of the War on Drugs and the War on Terror. Global Crime, 6, 305-324.
Campbell, H., &Hansen, T. (2014). Is Narco ‐ Violence in Mexico Terrorism? Bulletin of Latin American Research , 33 (2), 158-173.
Durbin, K. J. (2013). International Narco-Terrorism and Non-State Actors: The Drug Cartel Global Threat. Global Security Studies , 4 (1).
Gomis, B. (2015). Demystifying «Narcoterrorism.» Policy Brief , (9).
Holmberg, J. (2009). Narcoterrorism. Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, George Mason .
Levitt, M. (2012). Hizbullah narco-terrorism: a growing cross-border threat. IHS Defense, Risk, and Security , 34-41.
Piazza, J. A. (2011). The illicit drug trade, counter narcotics strategies and terrorism. Public Choice , 149 (3), 297-314.
Stiglitz, J. (2008). The $3 trillion war. New Perspectives Quarterly , 25 (2), 61-64.
