Page 24 - The Cormorant Issue 14

of all opiates consumed in Russia originate from there. Russia’s assessment that it has suffered most from narcotics trafficking from Afghanistan can therefore be understood.
The 2010 raids indicate that Russia has finally made some inroads into forging some cooperation with the West in reducing the drug threat from Afghanistan. However, the establishment of formal ties with NATO to systematically reduce this threat remains a distant hope.
Like many ‘new’ security challenges, the drugs trade transcends national boundaries and its solution requires cooperation rather than rivalry between states. Vladimir Putin acknowledged this in an address to officers of the Russian drug enforcement agency created in 2004: ‘The drugs trade is international. And so con- stant exchange of information, and coordinated activity with col- leagues from other countries, can greatly increase the effective- ness of the war on drugs’.
To date, Russia has signed agreements for cooperation in the fight against drugs with more than 30 countries. Most Afghan heroin enters Russia via the Central Asian states, so this region has become a key focus of its international cooperation. Russia’s major vehicle for counternarcotics cooperation in Central Asia is the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO). Large-scale multinational counterdrug operations carried out under the aus- pices of the CSTO since 2003 have yielded increasingly impres- sive results. While less than 2 tonnes of drugs were seized in 2003 this figure grew to almost 116 tonnes by 2009.
Russia, then, has come a long way in forging international ties to fight its war on drugs. However, Russia remains resentful that
NATO forces in Afghanistan have failed to consider the harm- ful effects of rising opium production on Russian security and national health. They also feel that Russian efforts to encourage the establishment of ties between the CSTO and NATO are just not taken sufficiently serious in the West. This lack of response is likely to further Russian feelings of indignation at the perceived implication that the country is treated a ‘junior partner’, whose interests and suggestions are only taken on board when they happen to coincide with those of the West.
Whilst observers from individual NATO member states have attended Kanal operations, NATO as an organisation has so far been uninterested in establishing formal relations with the CSTO. The Russian leadership believes this is because some NATO member states do not want to see the CSTO treated as an equal partner for political reasons. Whilst the strengthening of bilateral relations between Russia and some Western states, such as the US, is a step into the right direction, Russia maintains that only formalised cooperation between NATO and the CSTO will lead to a truly effective international response to Afghan heroin.
Given that the international drugs business knows no frontiers, the strengthening of formal cooperation between NATO and the CSTO seems to be in the interest of everybody concerned. In addressing this vital issue it is not the Russians but NATO that seems to be the awkward partner. Is it time for NATO members to rise above Cold War sentiments in order to start fighting this and other truly global threats?
Dr Bettina Renz is a lecturer in International Security specialis- ing in Russian security studies based at the School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham
Lifeworks: Specialist Support for The Armed Forces Community
Royal British Legion Industries have been working with the Armed Forces and helping veterans since 1919 and have devel- oped a wide range of services over this time, such as housing, healthcare, social enterprises and veterans training and recruit- ment services.
The latest addition to their armoury of support is LifeWorks and LifeWorks+. These programmes are intended to help those transitioning out of the Armed Forces or veterans who need to review their employment options. They aim to provide a better understanding of suitable work options and how to access them. They also explore health and wellbeing, interests, personality and abilities, thus ensuring career choices are realistic and achievable.
Sharon Patmore, RBLI’s Head of Conditional Management explains: “LifeWorks can help an individual in a number of ways”.
“It has been designed to increase confidence and motivation, identify personal strengths and skills and find and understand future career options.”
Brigadier Steve Sherry, CEO of Royal British Legion Industries goes on to explain that “The transition from military to civilian life can be a difficult one and, for many, a little extra support and guidance is all that is needed to point them in the right direction.”
“For those that are wounded, injured or sick, however, the prob- lem is all the more challenging and I am delighted that we now
have a programme of support which addresses exactly this issue.”
The programme has been running for almost a year now and has been attended by individuals from all services and has been extremely well received by all participants. Every participant has provided feedback that they feel more positive about their futures.
‘LifeWorks will give you a good understanding of where to go, what to do and how to prepare for it all. It helped me with inter- view techniques, writing my CV – everything I needed really. So it’s definitely worth doing. I’d say you’ve got nothing to lose and all to gain from the course.’ Martin McCormack
Andrew Hughes, who served for a number of years with the RAF, also stated how beneficial he had found the course.
“It seemed like it would provide me with the tailored guidance and training I needed. Once on the course, the advisors were absolutely brilliant. They can speak to you on a one-to-one basis. It wasn’t like a teacher-student relationship at all; it was more like a friend that has come to rescue you.”
For further information on LifeWorks or to find out how you can support the work of Royal British Legion Industries, call 0800319 6844 or email lifeworks@rbli.co.uk
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