U.S. policies of drug eradication in Afghanistan have not only failed to end the opium trade, but they’ve also undermined the goals of the war on terror. By creating numerous perverse unintended consequences, the U.S. interdiction efforts have strengthened the Taliban insurgency and undercut the broader goals of the occupation.

Christopher J. Coyne is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, Professor of Economics at George Mason University, and Co-Editor of The Independent Review. He is the author of the new book, In Search of Monsters to Destroy: The Folly of American Empire and the Paths to Peace.
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Abigail R. Hall is a Senior Fellow at the Independent Institute, and an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Tampa.
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AfghanistanDefense and Foreign PolicyTerrorism and Homeland Security
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