Outside the Beltway

The FARC, the Taliban and Drugs

· Monday, April 11, 2011 · 2 comments

Via the AP:  US: FARC and Taliban are among largest drug trafficking organizations in the world

Assistant Secretary of State William Brownfield said drug-trafficking organizations have aligned with political and ideological movements in recent decades.

He cited the followers of Osama bin Laden and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia as examples. Brownfield said that although the two groups don’t exist for drug trafficking, it can no longer be considered separate from their political and ideological goals.

And the reason for this is quite simple:  drugs, especially with black market prices in place, are an excellent way to fund armed groups.

FILED UNDER: Asia, Latin America, US Politics, World Politics, , , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Let the market work its magic here says:
    Tuesday, 12 April 2011 at 02:51

    Hmmm…I vaguely remember something from the 80s about drug trafficing and freedom fighters. I can’t quite put my finger on it…

  2. Jack says:
    Tuesday, 12 April 2011 at 10:34

    Seems like “market-based solutions” work far better for criminals (of all stripes) than the rest of us…

Support OTB

Become a Patron

Popular Posts