Antidrug Efforts in Afghanistan a Mess, Inspector General Says

The inspector general for the U.S. State Department recently issued a damning report (PDF) on antidrug efforts in Afghanistan, saying that long-term strategy, objectives and a pathway to eventually empowering Afghans to address their own problems all are insufficient.

The New York Times reported Dec. 24 that the report said that clear roles were lacking for both military and civilian antidrug efforts, and that cooperation between the U.S. embassies in Kabul and Islamabad, Pakistan has been poor because embassy officials in Pakistan don’t see a link between drug trafficking and insurgents in Pakistan.

Drug eradication efforts also are handicapped by the Afghan government’s weak justice system, corruption, and lack of political will, the report said.