Stemming the flow of illicit narcotics through ungoverned regions in Northern Africa and combating escalating piracy attacks along the continent's eastern and western coasts are top priorities for U.S. Africa Command, according to a one-star general. Brig. Gen. Patrick Higgins, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command-Africa (SOCAFRICA), predicted that efforts to combat drug trafficking in Africa could soon supersede counterterrorism and counterinsurgency challenges. "Narcotics is a big problem," Higgins said in a Dec. 8 interview with Inside the Pentagon. "I...