Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Examining The Circular Relationship Between The Heroin Trade In Afghanistan And Afghan Insurgency Funding, Edward J. Kljunich

Regis University Student Publications (comprehensive collection)

The heroin trade is a vital part of the Afghan economy. The heroin trade in Afghanistan has represented 40% to 50% of the country's entire gross domestic product for the past 30 years. The aim of this study was to examine the heroin trade as a circular circuit. Disrupt or break the circuit and the heroin trade comes to a halt. A disruption in the drug trade is also a disruption for the insurgency since the majority of the insurgency's funding is generated by the heroin trade. Historically, there have been times when neighboring borders were closed, poppy crops failed, …