Studies On Narcotic Diplomacy During Nixon Times

It is a multi-subjects and a multi-layers issue to interdict drugs from external countries. It can be seen as an issue of health and also a diplomatic issue; it is not only a lawful one and foreign trade, but an issue of social and global. Such a complex issue has been studied by academy, so it is worth studying further.The United States developed active bilateral and multi-lateral activities against the countries producing drugs and transporting drugs such as France, Turkey, Mexico and the golden triangle area. Negotiation, assistance to foreign countries and sanction and so on had been carried out by the United States to protect illegal narcotic from its territory. At the same time, with the help of international organizations like the U.N., the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotics Drugs had been emended; authority of INCB had been intensified; funds on drug interdiction had been founded; function of DEA had been strengthened.It is a period from development to mature for American narcotic policy in Nixon times. The period is a beginning of narcotic war. National enforcement gradually decreased; stressed against the sources of drug; reinforced the international co-operation on drug interdiction through setting up"Global Drug Interdiction System". All these methods had been used to lessen national drug problems and also to enlarge a new developing era for international drug enforcement strategies. It is turned out that it is not a new diplomacy for the United States to take drug issue as a global issue and a key point to diplomacy, but a precedent for American narcotic diplomacy afterwards. President Reagan, Bush and Clinton accepted the idea in Nixon times to regard consistent drug flowing into the country as a national menace and they developed Nixon's narcotic diplomacy, even strengthened military power. From Nixon, every president has launched and leaded anti-drug war to seek for international narcotic enforcement system; they wish to make use of its supremacy to influence multi-lateral drug enforcement system managed by the U.N. On the basis of newly decoded American diplomatic files in Nixon times, studying on gazette of State Department, Congress almanac, Presidents'public documents and American historical documents and so on; the thesis can be divided into four parts. The first part introduces the national and international background of drug diplomacy; the second part analyzes bilateral and multi-lateral strategies of American drug diplomacy and its efforts to solve drug problems. Finally, the thesis discusses the achievements of drug diplomacy and draws an conclusion. The thesis analyzes drug interdiction not only as a policy but a diplomatic strategy. It is an example that the United States makes use of solving global issue to solve diplomatic problems.