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Just as military analysts seek enemy vulnerabilities that might disrupt one or more of
the key elements of battlefield survival (Move-Shoot-Communicate) to plan military
strategies, counterdrug policy makers can evaluate these five requirements for successful
drug trafficking for opportunities to attack their targets. The essential idea is to identify
factors critical to the success of the enemy. Truth be told, no single point where the
drug trafficking industry can be decisively engaged and destroyed presents itself. Yet,
there are opportunities to assail all five requirements for successful drug trafficking, and
U.S. counterdrug elements are becoming more astute at exploiting such vulnerabilities.
Granted, progress has been uneven and success elusive, but no more conclusive outcome
appears attainable. Narco-mercantilism is likely to remain a threat to U.S.
national security interests and those of other nations for years to corne. The most promising
approach to combating this opponent is to focus counterdrug efforts on the five
areas, seizing opportunities as they present themselves, and dispelling unrealistic
expectations about counterdrug efforts.
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