Iraq

Iraq is a nation in the Middle East bordering the Persian Gulf; Iran to the east; Kuwait to the southeast; Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Syria to the west; [Page 419]and Turkey to the north. Although there are no recent reliable estimates of drug use in Iraq, observers believe that rates of illicit drug use remain relatively low. However, given the political turmoil that followed the 2003 American-led invasion and overthrow of Saddam Hussein, Iraq has emerged as a major conduit of the drug trade originating from Afghanistan en route to Western Europe and Africa. The illicit drug trade will continue to threaten Iraq's national security for many years to come. Recently, several reports document that Iraq's insurgency uses drug trafficking as a means of financing ...