Drug trafficking breeds massive crime, which does more damage than addiction itself. The cure lies not where the drugs are produced but in consumer countries, mainly in the West. We are losing this war, and Richard Clutterbuck examines four radical alternatives: suppression, severe enough to work without infringing civil liberties; decriminalization, Dutch style; wider licensing of drugs under government control; and licensed legalization, controlling drugs as we control alcohol. He urges debate, research and experiment to decide the best way.

In this book, Richard Clutterbuck examines the experience of crisis management and war in history, mainly through 24 case studies, culminating in the Gulf, Somalia, Cambodia and Bosnia in 1990-93. He examines the disintegration of the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia, the opening of West European frontiers, and the conflicts arising or likely to arise from them. He considers the opportunities for resolving conflicts by the post Cold War UN Security Council, and the enormous potential of NATO now that it is no longer tied to the iron curtain. He forecasts the patterns of future conflict, and the prospects of keeping the peace.