Civil Conflict

Is the world's longest-running insurgency coming to an end? The Colombian government and the leftist guerrillas of the FARC have announced their first peace talks in a decade, but that's just the first step.

With The Lebanese Connection, global drug trade scholar Jonathan Marshall has made an important contribution to the literature -- not only of the drug trade, but also of the Middle East, terrorism, covert operations, and failed states.

We review "Drugs, Insecurity, and Failed States: The Problems of Prohibition," a new book from the very establishment International Institute for Strategic Studies.

It's almost time for the hash harvest in Lebanon, and farmers are taking up arms to protect their cash crop from eradicators.

A bill that would decriminalize drug crop cultivation in Colombia has passed a first reading in the lower house, but the government opposes it.

The new Humala government in Peru sought coca grower support by promising to end forced eradication, and now the growers are holding the government to its word.

The Mexican president gave his annual state of the union speech last week, but that had no impact on the killing.

Along with the usual carnage and corruption, suspected Zetas killed 52 casino goers in a gasoline/fire attack, teachers skipped school following extortion threats, authorities bust a Sinaloa Cartel "cell" in Utah, and one cartel has put up "wanted" posters targeting leaders of another cartel and offered rewards for them.

The Lebanese police's annual marijuana eradication campaign in the Bekaa Valley got off with a bang Monday, as police were attacked at least twice.