This assignment requires you to write a proposal that states your research question and your research strategy for addressing it. You may refer to the 2014 End of Program Manual for more information. Thesis Proposal: The thesis proposal shall be 5 pages in length not including title page or references. Format: Standard academic format will suffice: 1-inch borders on all four sides, double spaced, with times new roman 12-point font. Your title page should include the working title of your thesis, your name, and your working abstract. The abstract includes the following components: purpose of the research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of the abstract is limited to 150-200 words. Your thesis proposal should have the following sections: Introduction: The introduction is where you identify your specific research question: “To what extent can GEOINT be effective in countering opium production in an effort to defeat narcoterrorism? Also, please answer: How are you going to measure the effectiveness of GEOINT and its use against opium production and how has operations been effective in countering the Taliban (narcoterrorism)? Are there policy (intelligence or counterterrorism) recommendations to present to your audience in a potential solution to winning the war on narcoterrorism?  Where you set the general context for the study. In this section you need to include: · a statement of the problem or general research question and context leading to a clear statement of the specific research question; · background and contextual material justifying why this case or topic should be studied; and · a purpose statement. Literature Review: This short preliminary literature review section reviews the literature important to your specific research question. The literature review focuses on discussing how other researchers have addressed the same or similar research questions. It introduces the study and places it in larger context that includes a discussion of why it is important to study this case. It provides the current state of accumulated knowledge as it relates to your specific research question. In this section you should: · Summarize the general state of the literature (cumulative knowledge base) on the specific research question. For example if you discuss other studies that have been conducted you would summarize the researcher's findings, how those findings were obtained, and conduct an evaluation of biases in the findings. · This section should provide a broad overview of the primary arguments related to the topic and organizes the general views on the main aspects of the topic by theme, which could be the prevailing arguments or schools of thought, or commonly held beliefs that your particular topic may challenge. · Include a short conclusion and transition to the next section. Theoretical Framework/Approach: The theoretical framework section develops the theories or models to be used in the study and shows how you have develope ...

1. This assignment requires you to write a proposal that states
your research question and your research strategy for addressing
it. You may refer to the 2014 End of Program Manual for more
information.
Thesis Proposal:
The thesis proposal shall be 5 pages in length not including title
page or references.
Format:
Standard academic format will suffice: 1-inch borders on all
four sides, double spaced, with times new roman 12-point font.
Your title page should include the working title of your thesis,
your name, and your working abstract.
The abstract includes the following components: purpose of the
research, methodology, findings, and conclusion. The body of
the abstract is limited to 150-200 words.
Your thesis proposal should have the following sections:
Introduction: The introduction is where you identify your
specific research question: “To what extent can GEOINT be
effective in countering opium production in an effort to defeat
narcoterrorism? Also, please answer: How are you going to
measure the effectiveness of GEOINT and its use against opium
production and how has operations been effective in countering
the Taliban (narcoterrorism)? Are there policy (intelligence or
counterterrorism) recommendations to present to your audience
in a potential solution to winning the war on narcoterrorism?
Where you set the general context for the study. In this section
you need to include:
· a statement of the problem or general research question and
context leading to a clear statement of the specific research
question;
· background and contextual material justifying why this case or
topic should be studied; and
· a purpose statement.

2. Literature Review: This short preliminary literature review
section reviews the literature important to your specific
research question. The literature review focuses on discussing
how other researchers have addressed the same or similar
research questions. It introduces the study and places it in
larger context that includes a discussion of why it is important
to study this case. It provides the current state of accumulated
knowledge as it relates to your specific research question. In
this section you should:
· Summarize the general state of the literature (cumulative
knowledge base) on the specific research question. For example
if you discuss other studies that have been conducted you would
summarize the researcher's findings, how those findings were
obtained, and conduct an evaluation of biases in the findings.
· This section should provide a broad overview of the primary
arguments related to the topic and organizes the general views
on the main aspects of the topic by theme, which could be the
prevailing arguments or schools of thought, or commonly held
beliefs that your particular topic may challenge.
· Include a short conclusion and transition to the next section.
Theoretical Framework/Approach: The theoretical framework
section develops the theories or models to be used in the study
and shows how you have developed testable research
hypotheses. This section should include:
· an introduction discussing gaps in the literature, how this
study will help fill some of those gaps, and justification for the
theory or model to be used in study;
· a summary of the theory or model to be used in the study,
including a diagram of the model if appropriate; and
· a statement of hypotheses to be tested.
For some additional information on how select a theoretical
framework check out this video; for help organizing your
theoretical framework into your paper, check out this USC
Library guide on Theoretical Frameworks.
Research Design & Methods: Describes how you will test the
hypothesis and carry out your analysis. This section describes

3. the data to be used to test the hypothesis, how you will
operationalize and collect data on your variables, and the
analytic methods that to be used, noting potential biases and
limitations to the research approach. It should include:
· identification and operationalization (measurement) of
variables;
· a sampling plan (i.e., study population and sampling
procedures, if appropriate);
· justification of case studies used;
· data collection/sources (secondary literature, archives,
interviews, surveys, etc.);
· a summary of analysis procedures (pattern-matching, etc.);
and
· the limitations of study and bias discussion.
Conclusion: Should re-emphasize the importance of the study
and bring the proposal full circle.
Reference List: References the works that you have cited (direct
quotes or paraphrases) in the text. This list must be in the
Turabian "Reference List" style rather than in the
"Bibliography" style. Remember that the references you use
demonstrate your knowledge of the topic area. This research
proposal is meant to convince your professor that you not only
have identified a worthy question in need of investigation, but
that you are also capable of carrying out the research involved
to successfully answer that question. At the very least you
should have referenced 6-10 sources in this proposal.
Format:
Standard academic format will suffice: 1-inch borders on all
four sides, double spaced, with times new roman 12-point font.
When you have completed, save as NAMEProposal.doc and
upload in Assignments.
The attached document is from Belcher, Wendy Laura.
2009. Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks: A Guide to
Academic Publishing Success. Sage. Chapter 10 on "Editing
Your Sentence
has an excellent system in place to help ensure that you are

4. submitting error free assignments.
Editing your sentences ch 10.pdf (5.74 MB)
HOW EFFECTIVE HAS GEOINT BEEN IN COUNTERING
OPIUM PRODUCTION TO HELP DEFEAT
NARCOTERRORISM?
A Master Thesis
Submitted to the Faculty
of
American Public University System
by
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirement for the Degree
of
Master of Arts
October 2020
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
ABSTRACT OF THE THESIS
HOW EFFECTIVE HAS GEOINT BEEN IN COUNTERING

5. OPIUM PRODUCTION TO HELP DEFEAT
NARCOTERRORISM
by
American Public University System, 04 October 4,
2020Comment by charles russo6: Minor issues, but you have
date issues.
Charles Town, West Virginia
Dr. Charles M. Russo, Thesis Professor
Comment by charles russo6: Abstract should be one paragraph
and 150-200 words.
Narcoterrorism is a developing worldwide threat to countries'
national security. No place on the planet is immune to the
destructive effects of illegal drug use. Remote civilized areas,
bustling cities, vicious, school shooter attempts, and gang wars
are the direct impression that opium is used, spread, and
profited by drug cartels and terrorist organizations. It is
necessary to deal with this threat and adopt strategies that can
mitigate its impact and actions. This study will explore the
extent to which geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) can be used
in countering opium production to help defeat narcoterrorism.
Specifically, in Afghanistan, opium has been a large source of
revenue for the Taliban. It also targets how GEOINT can be of
use in managing the drug epidemic. A qualitative methodology
will be used to determine how GEOINT can be used to counter
opium production and help defeat narcoterrorism. The
qualitative study will focus on the history of opium, how
countries like Mexico, China and Afghanistan have capitalized
on the production of illegal narcotics and how this has affected
the narcoterrorism war. Additionally, this study will quantify
the effect GEOINT has had on the cessation of opium, thereby
the effect it has had on narcoterrorism. The variables will
include GEOINT, opium, illegal narcotics, and narcoterrorism.
The limitations of the study will be deducing how to effectively
measure GEOINT against the opium trade and how it has
affected narcoterrorism. The implication of the study is, the
results can be used by the government in implementing other

6. strategies and effectively enhancing GEOINT in tightening the
war against opium production, which will lead to end of narco-
terrorism.
Introduction
Imagery intelligence, popularly referred to as Geospatial
Intelligence (GEOINT), is an intelligence collection discipline
applying to national security and law enforcement. It has
previously been used to detect the course of least opposition for
a military force in a nation that is hostile, finding patterns in an
area that has reported cases of theft, among many others. This
study will determine the extent to which GEOINT can be of use
in countering the production of opium and defeating narco-
terrorism. GEOINT effectiveness can be measured by looking at
how well the service is prepared and the infrastructure and
financial support. Operations have previously successfully
countered the Taliban and fought to bring this narcoterrorism
war to an end. This has led to the formulation of policies and
laws to tighten the rule of law to fight opium and other
narcoterrorism activities. Therefore, GEOINT should be used in
the fight to counter the production of opium and successfully

7. defeat narcoterrorism. GEOINT can also be used to counter the
production of opium in an attempt to defeat narcoterrorism.
Narcoterrorism is a developing worldwide threat to countries'
national security. No place on the planet is immune to the
destructive effects of illegal drug use. Remote civilized areas,
bustling cities, vicious, school shooter attempts, and gang wars
are the direct impression that opium is used, spread, and
profited by drug cartels and terrorist organizations. It is
necessary to deal with this threat and adopt strategies that can
mitigate its impact and actions.Comment by charles russo6:
This is incorrect.
According to Intelligence.gov:
Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) includes representations of
objects reproduced electronically or by optical means on film,
electronic display devices, or other media. Imagery can be
derived from visual photography, radar sensors, infrared
sensors, lasers, and electro-optics.
Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) is the analysis and visual
representation of security related activities on the earth. It is
produced through an integration of imagery, imagery
intelligence, and geospatial information. (From
www.intelligence.gov)
Comment by charles russo6: Where are your sources? You have
claims and statements, which are not supported by any research.
Comment by charles russo6: Where are the components of an
introduction paragraph? You should have a problem statement,
position and argument, a research question, and a thesis
statement with a because clause. Comment by charles russo6:
Some of your sentences are not clearly written. Comment by
charles russo6: Such as? Why is this even being discussed?
Comment by charles russo6: Missing your stand alone research
question.
Literature Review

8. Opium was introduced in China by the Arabs and Turkish
traders in the late sixth or early seventh centuries. It was orally
consumed to reduce pain and relieve tension. Its use in China
increased, which saw several emperors illegalizing the use and
cultivation. Great Britain and the United States started its
cultivation in India. They exported the same to China to balance
the unfair trade that was ongoing between those countries, in
which China exported many of its goods but rarely imported
from them (Sullivan, 2010, 182). This opium addiction in China
grew until 1949 when the communist regime completely stopped
this business. Ever since, other Asian countries have picked up
from there, increasing opium in large production for
exportation. This is nowadays used to produce heroin, one of
the most addictive and most expensive drugs globally. Lately,
Afghanistan has started large-scale cultivation and production
of this drug. Plans to curb this trade has been hit by several
factors, including corruption and terrorist groups in the country,
which benefit from this business in order to fund their terrorist
activities. Comment by charles russo6: Watch the dates of your
sources.
Review Chicago style guide you do not need a comma between
author and year.
Vanda Felbab-Brown (2006) addressed the relationship between
illegal drug businesses and belligerent and criminal groups in
West Africa, Colombia, Mexico, and Afghanistan before the US
Senate planned to fight narcoterrorism and the United States'
long reach enforcement. In the recommendation given, Felbab-
Brown (2006) accused the national government's absence in
certain areas in their country, which forces individuals from
these areas to seek other means to earn a living. They get into
the drug business to sponsor their legal employment, education,
healthcare access, and infrastructure (Felbab-Brown, 2006).
These loopholes in society allow criminal and belligerent
groups to sponsor illicit economies. The groups end up
obtaining important political capital and protect the local
populace against government forces that might attempt to halt

9. the business. Such activities have allowed drug gangs to
dominate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, penetrating slums, and other
poverty-stricken areas.
In 2001, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) extended the
PATRIOT ACT to incorporate terrorism and drug trafficking.
The DEA has connected the shining path, Hezbollah, Taliban,
and a Columbian guerilla force FARC (Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de Colombia) straightforwardly to the
trafficking of narcotics and zeroed in counter-opiate tasks to
narco-terrorists (Faguet and Sanin, 2003, 5). The surge of the
Taliban ensured opium exchange in Afghanistan expanded the
multifaceted nature of lessening the flexibly (Marks, 2010). The
US has connected practically every nation on the planet to the
trafficking and production of narcotics using perplexing
globalization organizations. The unlawful opiate appropriation
uses comparative dissemination chains, innovation, equipment,
and genuine shipment to drive licit exchange. Modern
technology and globalization have spearheaded connections
between terrorist groups and drug cartels. The worthwhile
opiates give terrorist groups funds to launch attacks. The
frequent drug trafficking in Mexico has funded criminal gangs
that are equipped and continue to threaten the US war on drugs
at the border (Martin, 2018). The drug cartels' activities
debilitate Mexico's stability, leading to civil wars that affect the
United States borders. This literature review explores means
that can be used to curb and abate the cultivation and
production of opium using GEOINT to help combat
narcoterrorism.
GEOINT can be of great use in helping address the cause and
impacts of opium use. The use of geographic information will
provide an information-driven perspective, which will equip the
public and the authorities in place with the perceivability to
comprehend drug-related issues and assess expected solutions.
With the proper use of GEOINT, the public can get a significant
update, through the geospatial data concerning drug problems in
their local area. Using the specific local map design can allow

10. people to engage in battling the crisis of narcotics and help
identify those cultivating the opium (Walker, 2018, 82). It can
also be used to show individuals addicted to opium where to
seek help. By using GEOINT, users and traffickers can get the
opportunity to drop off boxes of narcotics to dispose of them
safely. It also provides a simple method for individuals to give
reports on how drug activities are happening without their
identity being revealed to the traffickers.
Furthermore, there is a need for state agencies to develop and
amend policies that will address the health crises of all
individuals that originate from drug abuse. Through the
effective use of GEOINT, these officials will be updated on the
fluctuation of important information points hence providing
them with a direct way to determine whether their responses and
reactions effectively curb this crisis. Strategies can be adjusted
through indicators that include the number of deaths related to
opium use, overdoses, the activities and reports on opium, and
narcotics seizures (Taylor, Jasparro and Mattson, 2013, 422).
This has been implemented in Kentucky and has been influential
in tracking the dangers of heroin and directing money and
geographical data to societies stricken by heroin use (Taylor,
Jasparro and Mattson, 2013, 422). A GEOINT platform shares
data concerning the rate at which individuals are dying as a
result of opium use and its overdoses and the areas that have
received an increased number of law enforcement concerning
narcotics.
Moreover, federal, state, and local law enforcement depend on
GEOINT to forestall the illegal use of opiates. Spatial
information obtained from the GEOINT can help formulate
methodologies for decreasing heroin supply in an area. Accurate
intelligence makes it successful for police officers in operation
to enable smooth communication between these officers and the
society concerning narcotics abuse (National Research Council,
and Mapping Science Committee, 2006). The US has employed
the use of GEOINT in areas it classifies as high-Intensity Drug
Trafficking.

11. Therefore, strategies should be put in place to enhance
technology among the public and advise them to use GEOINT
and liaise with the police in ensuring the fight against
narcoterrorism is successful.
Theoretical Framework
The literature review uncovered some gaps in knowledge such
as what is considered effective in the war against
narcoterrorism, and how would one know it has been won or if
the enemy has just found new ways to go undetected. Another
gap is the lack of classified intelligence that could be useful in
assessing GEOINT’s true effectiveness against opium and
narcoterrorism. The approaches that will be used in this study is
a combination of the convergence thesis, which concerns the
amalgamation of organized crime and terrorism into a single
phenomenon (Williams, 1998) and the crime-terror continuum,
specifically the black hole, which are "situations in which weak
or failed states foster the convergence between transnational
organized crime and terrorism, and ultimately create a safe
haven for the continued operations of convergent groups"
(Makarenko, 2004). The hypothesis that will be tested is
GEOINT can be effective in minimizing opium production and
narcoterrorism which can be helpful in the US developing better
counterdrug and terrorism policies, however it will never
completely stop the production of opium and its connection to
terrorism.Comment by charles russo6: What is your theory?
Comment by charles russo6: Missing page numbers for directly
quoted material
Methodology
The research design will include collecting primary and
secondary data to determine the extent to which GEOINT can be
of use in helping fight narcoterrorism. The primary research
will involve collecting data from websites concerning opium
production, narcoterrorism, international drug trafficking, and
the limitations of GEOINT identifying opium and narcotics

12. therefore tying the exploitation to narcoterrorism. This study
will use a combination of historical analysis in order to note
trends and data will also be collected from secondary sources,
including books and articles on the same topic for comparison.
The independent variables include GEOINT and how it will be
effective in identifying opium through the use Full Motion
Video (FMV), advanced imagery methods, and Electro Optical
imagery and how much opium is being smuggled through the
use of GEOINT. The dependent variables will be how opium is
produced and further developed into heroin, and how the use of
illegal narcotics is affecting terrorism. This study's limitations
will be that many details including how GEOINT is able to
detect opium is classified. Also, since narcoterrorism is
prevalent across the world, so it will be difficult to say how
GEOINT has been effective against the narcoterrorism war
because of the vastness and the amount of imagery available in
those areas. Comment by charles russo6: What is your design?
Qualitative or quantitative?
The method is not correct. Please research both design and
associated method of data collection and analysis.
Conclusion
Past endeavors to annihilate opium production, attack rivalry,
and adjust targets were not significant. The absence of support
from the locals and collaboration with law enforcers preceding a
solitary wolf approach has just made greater hostility and
brought about a more prominent issue. Narcoterrorism begins
and ends as a local issue. The use of GEOINT technology can
help counter the production of opium to defeat narco-terrorism.
This can only be effective if all set guidelines are strictly
followed, and the society collectively works together to bring
this issue to an end.
References
Faguet, Jean-Paul, and Francisco Gutierrez Sanin. “Criminal
Rebels? A Discussion of Civil War and Criminality from the

13. Colombian Experience”. Essay. In Decentralization and Local
Government in Bolivian Overview from the Bottom Up, 5.
London, UK: LSE, DESTIN, 2003,
https://www.lse.ac.uk/internationaldevelopment/Assets/Docume
nts/PDFs/csrc-working-papers-phase-one/wp27-criminal-
rebels.pdf.
Felbab-Brown, Vanda. "A Better Strategy against
Narcoterrorism." MIT Center for International Studies Audit of
the Conventional Wisdom (2006): 06-02.
Makarenko, T. "The Crime-Terror Continuum: Tracing the
Interplay between Transnational Organised Crime and
Terrorism" 6:1 Global Crime 129-145. n.p.: n.p., 2004.
Marks, Gerby. "Clandestine Airstrips: Opportunity for Narcotics
terrorism Nexus in Laguna Del Tigre National Park,
Guatemala." Unpublished University manuscript. Remote
Sensing GEOG 883 (2010).
Martin, Heather. "The Effects of Geospatial-Intelligence on
United States-Mexico Border Security." (2018).
National Research Council, and Mapping Science
Committee. Priorities for GEOINT Research at the National
geospatial-intelligence agency. National Academies Press, 2006.
Percy, Jonathan. "When Guns and Drugs are democratized:
Potential Technical
Solution
s to Counter the Negative Consequences of Three-Dimensional
Printing." Homeland Security Affairs 12 (2016).
Sullivan, John P. "Counter-supply and counter-violence
approaches to narcotics trafficking." Small Wars &
Insurgencies 21, no. 1 (2010): 179-195.

14. Taylor, Jonathan S., Christopher Jasparro, and Kevin Mattson.
"Geographers and drugs: A survey of the
literature." Geographical Review 103, no. 3 (2013): 415-430.
Walker, James R. "The rise of GEOINT: Technology,
intelligence, and human rights." In Visual Imagery and Human
Rights Practice, pp. 67-88. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018.
Williams, P. "Terrorism and Organized Crime: Convergence,
Nexus or Transformation?" in Jervas ed. n.p.: Report on
Terrorism, Swedish Defence Research Establishment, 1998.
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