The Senlis Council has maintained an operational base in the southern provinces of
Afghanistan since 2004. Initially aimed at providing a firsthand view of the burgeoning
opium trade, this local presence in Kandahar and Helmand has enabled us to develop an
expertise in many of the issues associated with poppy cultivation.
Building upon this foundation, The Senlis Council broadened its examination of other key
theatres within the War on Terror, launching a research platform in Somalia – the first
outside of Afghanistan – in March 2008. On the ground research in May 2008 a third conflict zone –
Iraq – led to this report, and
prompted The Senlis Council to consider an alternative approach to global security issues.
In this report we offer a Situation Report (SITREP) on Iraq, as well as the initial findings
from a series of interviews conducted in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, and an
examination of what we believe the study of the three conflicts tells us about current
global security policy.
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Chronic Failures in the War on Terror - Fast Track Policy for Somalia and Somaliland (April 2008)
Afghan and Somali Views on the United States Presidential Elections 2008 (April 2008)
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A Losing War - by Romesh Bhattacharji, former counter-narcotics commissioner of India
7 August2008
Nature achieved this year what six years of United States-led anti-narcotics enforcement could not do in Afghanistan. Bad weather effected a decline in the country’s opium production by ruining a sizable chunk of the crop. For Afghanistan, narcotics and insurgency are intertwined and inseparable problems. Illicit cultivation of opium was used by the U.S. to finance the insurrection against the Najibullah government...
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Mr. Harper: Don't let Insite close - The Scotsman
EU leadership on narcotics strategy in Afghanistan - New Europe
All Op-eds
Iraq - Angry Hearts and Angry Minds
On the ground research in May 2008, after Afghanistan and Somalia, a third conflict zone - Iraq - led to the
Iraq: Angry Hearts and Angry Minds
report, and prompted The Senlis Council to consider an alternative approach to global security issues. The following clips were shown during the report release on 26 June 2008 in London.