Counternarcotics : lessons from the U.S. experience in Afghanistan.

Since its creation in 1963, United States Southern Command has been led by 30 senior officers representing all four of the armed forces. None has undertaken his leadership responsibilities with the cultural sensitivity and creativity demonstrated by Admiral Jim Stavridis during his tenure in command. Breaking with tradition, Admiral Stavridis discarded the customary military model as he organized the Southern Command Headquarters. In its place he created an organization designed not to subdue adversaries, but instead to build durable and enduring partnerships with friends. His observation that it is the business of Southern Command to launch "ideas not missiles" into the command's area of responsibility gained strategic resonance throughout the Caribbean and Central and South America, and at the highest levels in Washington, DC.

This is a print on demand edition of a hard to find publication. Since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, U.S. attention to terrorism in Latin Amer. has intensified, with an increase in bilateral and regional cooperation. Terrorism in the region was primarily perpetrated by terrorist org. in Colombia and by the remnants of radical leftist Andean groups. But, the threat of a transnational terrorist attack remained low for most countries in the hemisphere. Both Cuba and Venezuela are on the list of countries not cooperating with U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. There are also concerns on the activities of the Lebanon-based Islamic group Hezbollah and the Sunni Muslim Palestinian group Hamas in the area of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay. This report discusses U.S. concerns over terrorism in Latin Amer. incl. increased regional cooperation.