Critical Factors Analysis Applied to the Drug War.

Abstract

Abstract : In 1997 we have entered into a renewed commitment to the war On drugs, and seek to develop relevant, effective course of action to implement the National Drug Control Strategy (1997). Critical Factors Analysis--deriving courses of actions by examining the critical strengths, critical weaknesses, critical vulnerabilities, and center(s) of gravity of a potential enemy--is a highly valuable analytical tool that has applicability in planning actions for the war on drugs. The enemy in the drug war is the illegal drug industry, which by its nature as an industry has the typical functions for a transnational industry, except for its illegality. Courses of action in the drug war should be designed to defeat this enemy's center(s) of gravity by exploiting its critical vulnerabilities. After examining all primary functions', of the illegal drug industry, there are several critical vulnerabilities: illicit crops, specific precursor chemicals, demand at the street dealing level, and money laundering at the point just before cash loads enter the legitimate banking system. Centers of gravity are the drugs profitability as a product, the productive capacity of drug producers, and accumulated wealth to recapitalize any temporary setbacks. Courses of action derived from this analysis support the National Drug Control Strategy, while giving added relevancy because they are designed to ultimately defeat the adversary, the illegal drug industry, by employing this operational art concept of critical factors analysis.