Changing U.S. Strategy in South America: Adjusting and Exporting Plan Colombia

摘要

This paper proposes the re-alignment of the current U.S. strategy to defeat narcoterrorism in South America. According to the COMUSSOUTHCOM, 'we are at a critical point where eliminating tension and fostering democracies could be at risk if we allow our attention in another region to ignore the fact we live in this hemisphere and its prosperity is paramount to our national security.' A joint effort by the U.S. and Colombia called Plan Colombia is attempting to eradicate this threat in Colombia. The United States must recognize that it cannot achieve the national ends delineated in its National Drug Strategy and Strategy for Combating Terrorism unless it approaches the solution in a comprehensive multilateral approach with their South American partners. The solution outlined in this paper provides a unified effort built on the success of Plan Colombia and modified to develop a balanced approach to achieve the goals of Drugs Development and Democracy. To ensure a common vision of the problem narcoterrorism is defined as the melding of drug lords insurgents and terrorist. An explanation of Plan Colombia points out the exportable successes that provide the basis for an adjusted strategy. To better propagate the new strategy short falls identified in the ways and means of the U.S. National Strategies on Drugs and Combating Terrorism are incorporated into a solution and formulated around the combating terrorism framework of the 4D's (Deny Diminish Defeat and Defend). This not only assures a detailed solution but also synergy between the two national strategies. Inside this blueprint is a discussion of the specific ways and means to achieve the end of narcoterrorism and an analysis of hurdles and risks to be mitigated to ensure success.