Drugs, Oil & War: The United States in Afghanistan, Colombia & Indochina

by Peter Scott

Peter Dale Scott's brilliantly researched tour de force illuminates the underlying forces that drive U.S. global policy from Vietnam to Colombia and now to Afghanistan and Iraq. He brings to light the intertwined patterns of drugs, oil politics, and intelligence networks that have been so central to the larger workings of U.S. intervention and escalation in Third World countries through al liances with drug-trafficking proxies. The result has been a staggering increase in global drug traffic. Thus, the author argues, the exercise of power by cover t means, or parapolitics, often metastasizes into deep politics - the interplay of unacknowledged forces that spin out of the control of the original policy ini tiators. Scott contends that we must recognize that U.S. influence is grounded n ot just in military and economic superiority but also in so-called soft power. W e need a soft politics of persuasion and nonviolence, especially as America is e mbroiled in yet another disastrous intervention, this time in Iraq.

Genres: History, Politics, Nonfiction, War, American, American History, Conspiracy Theories

248 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2003

About the author

This is NOT the famous naturalist, sportsman, and founder of the World Wildlife Fund. He is listed under his full name:
Peter Markham Scott

Reviews

[Samuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was originally really gung-ho to read this book because of the subject matter. That faded fast. The author's incessant need to cite himself, his general reliance on secondary sources rather than primary sources, citation overkill and writing style (I suppose) made this a really tough read for me.

I agree with an earlier assessment that the book was "too conspiracy". Maybe the author knew that going in which is why he was bound and determined to cite this book to death; I'm talkin to the tune of something like 150 per 40 pages or so, half of which were to himself; or at least that's my best ballpark guess.

This book was painful for me to read, and I assume I'm not alone in this; which is disappointing because like I said earlier, the subject matter interests me so much.

[Brian Bigelow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't believe all of the drug assertions but as a rule when the US military gets involved in a country drug production flourishes. That's a fact.
I'm surprised the tire manufacturing in Vietnam wasn't mentioned. In the 1950's almost all the tires sold in the US was made in Vietnam. There was attempts made to protect that production. Of course, since then those manufacturing concerns moved to Venezuela.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

“…the use of illegal narcotics networks to fight communism, resorted to by capitalists in Shanghai in 1927 and in Southeast Asia in the 1950s, seems without our knowledge to have been sanctioned inside the United States.”

Political power and money drive official and unofficial US policy. Peter Dale Scott brings the receipts to demonstrate close connections between big business, often oil, and US leadership and how different parts of the US government, intelligence and military may attempt to implement policies at odds with each other.

Scott points out that where American military and CIA are involved, there’s often an increase in illegal drug traffic ex. China, Vietnam, Colombia, Afghanistan and that the US often aligns with those who may profit from the drug traffic.

[Fernando · Rating 4 out of 5]

More than anything I was curious about CIA's secret operations in Central Asia which goes back to the early 70's - A combination of american lobbying, opium, oil and anticommunism-. Among its closest allies that fan out in Afghanistan were Bin Laden, Mujahideens and the Taliban. CIA's involvement in drugs trade has been a mistery to me for years. But seem quite plausible that drug triangulation serves as collateral finance for not burning american taxpayer dollars

[Kevin Q · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scott is the real deal. An intellectual who tells the truth even if it pisses off the military industrial complex, the prison industrial complex, and the cocaine importation agency (CIA).

[Alex podge · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically the most dense historical account of how deep politics operated in the 20th century. An expanded version of this book that goes into CIA drug trafficking in Nicaragua and Kosovo would be incredible, especially since the reasons for US intervention in Kosovo have a lot to do with the oil pipelines from the Middle East. This book actually explains some of the complex tactics that people in and outside of the CIA used to manipulate presidents like Eisenhower into getting involved in Vietnam.

[Jacob · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very academic and dry. Every sentence has important information and it was slow reading for me. I wouldn't go into the book blind either, it helps to have some background on the Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern wars with the US. His thesis is great and I am convinced he is correct: that the United States allies with drug cartels to destabilize the countries who's resources they want control of. At the same time using the money they make from the cartels to fund further covert involvement.

The introduction and chapter on Afghanistan were really great. I learned a lot about Afghanistan and how the US relationship changed over time. A good background of CIA involvement with the Taliban and Mujahideen. The Colombia chapter was interesting but felt scattered to me, I know the least about it. I didn't read much of the last chunk of the book on Southeast Asia because it was extremely descriptive and felt like more detail than I needed.

[Ryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book you should stay away from if you want to maintain your illusions about the sanity of the ruling classes.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone interested in the history of America's military interventions.

[Mdb · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too conspiracy