Colombia and Afghanistan have suffered similar challenges with instability, as terrorist groups attempted to overthrow their respective governments by harnessing the funds, illicit networks, and covert operations of the narcotics trade. Despite similar strategies to confront these threats, Colombia's ability to effectively link counternarcotics operations with counterinsurgency operations in order to demobilize terrorists and the sources that fund them could explain the reason for which Colombia has proved successful in stabilization and Afghanistan, thus far, has not.
","abstract_html":"<p>Colombia and Afghanistan have suffered similar challenges with instability, as terrorist groups attempted to overthrow their respective governments by harnessing the funds, illicit networks, and covert operations of the narcotics trade. Despite similar strategies to confront these threats, Colombia's ability to effectively link counternarcotics operations with counterinsurgency operations in order to demobilize terrorists and the sources that fund them could explain the reason for which Colombia has proved successful in stabilization and Afghanistan, thus far, has not.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Richardson, Ashley R."],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Ilan Berman"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2011,"date_issued":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2011-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z","subjects":["Colombia","Afghanistan","Plan Colombia","counterinsurgency","counternarcotics","Defense and Security Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Ashley R. Richardson"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1476","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Ilan Berman"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Richardson, Ashley R."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Defense and Strategic Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Colombia","Afghanistan","Plan Colombia","counterinsurgency","counternarcotics","Defense and Security Studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Ashley R. Richardson"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1476"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Colombia and Afghanistan have suffered similar challenges with instability, as terrorist groups attempted to overthrow their respective governments by harnessing the funds, illicit networks, and covert operations of the narcotics trade. Despite similar strategies to confront these threats, Colombia's ability to effectively link counternarcotics operations with counterinsurgency operations in order to demobilize terrorists and the sources that fund them could explain the reason for which Colombia has proved successful in stabilization and Afghanistan, thus far, has not.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Counterinsurgency and Counternarcotics Strategies: Colombia's Lessons for Afghanistan"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Ilan Berman"],"dc:creator":["Richardson, Ashley R."],"dc:description.abstract":["Colombia and Afghanistan have suffered similar challenges with instability, as terrorist groups attempted to overthrow their respective governments by harnessing the funds, illicit networks, and covert operations of the narcotics trade. Despite similar strategies to confront these threats, Colombia's ability to effectively link counternarcotics operations with counterinsurgency operations in order to demobilize terrorists and the sources that fund them could explain the reason for which Colombia has proved successful in stabilization and Afghanistan, thus far, has not.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1476"],"dc:rights":["© Ashley R. Richardson"],"dc:subject":["Colombia","Afghanistan","Plan Colombia","counterinsurgency","counternarcotics","Defense and Security Studies"],"dc:title":["Counterinsurgency and Counternarcotics Strategies: Colombia's Lessons for Afghanistan"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Defense and Strategic Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z"}