- 15/11/2012
- Posted by: essay
- Category: Free essays
In the current situation, when the U.S. government has enormous debts, when its economy is claimed to be in need of stimulation, and the government, at least rhetorically, declaring the need to reduce costs, Washington is still going in the coming years to spend billions of dollars on the world “war on drugs”. Enhancing law enforcement, sharing intelligence among the states, and supporting Washington’s mission, can help reduce drug trafficking in the United States, providing safety among the communities, and our country a better place to live.
The U.S. State Department released on Monday March 1 annual report on the state of affairs in the sphere of production and drug trafficking in the world, which indicates that drug trafficking threatens public health and safety of people in the U.S. and around the world.
Assistant Secretary of State for international drug trafficking and law enforcement, David Johnson said that the illicit drug trade is a global threat to those countries where drugs are manufactured, transported or consumed. “Taking drugs is an international problem – says Johnson. – The country with the highest level of drug consumption is Iran, which takes considerable effort to combat this phenomenon. The United States is not among the countries where there is rapidly growing market for cocaine. These countries are in Europe.
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So this is – a global problem.” According to Johnson, cocaine production in Colombia is reduced dramatically, despite the fact that the country remains the largest producer of coca leaf in the Andes. However, Johnson believes that the neighboring countries as Colombia and Venezuela are not making significant efforts to combat drug trafficking. “If you keep track of where drugs are produced, how they get in the Caribbean or in Africa, and then – in Europe, we can see that the export routes starting in Venezuela’s border with Colombia” – explains Johnson. At the State Department report says that Venezuela is not cooperating on an ongoing basis with countries that are working to reduce illicit drug trafficking. It is also alleged that armed groups in Colombia linked to drug trafficking, passing through Venezuela.
Last year a similar report was particularly concerned about the situation in Mexico and Afghanistan. This year, these two countries again became a subject of discussion. According to Johnson, the U.S. policy to counter the drug trade is now largely directed not to destroy poppy crops and the creation of alternative livelihoods for farmers. Johnson says that the production and drug trade in Afghanistan continues to cause a problem. However, he noted that the area under poppy plantations has declined by about 30 percent from 2007 to 2009. Nevertheless, according to statistics of last year, Afghanistan produced more than 90 percent of opium, which is used to produce heroin.
With regard to the U.S., Johnson stressed that there is influence of the Mexican drug cartels, not only near the border with Mexico. “The flows are directed into the U.S. – said Johnson. – It creates a situation where in some border areas a problem with drugs is not even as great as in the country.” Report commends the President of Mexico, the Mexican police, judges and citizens who oppose the drug cartels. The report notes that last year were arrested major drug traffickers and that Mexico is using the U.S. has strengthened its police force. In addition to the regions that are normally associated with drug trafficking this year’s report referred to in West Africa, which in the past, had no interest for drug traffickers, but now serves as the main transshipment point for cocaine shipments to Europe.
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