Terrorist Finance (merged thread)

[Jedburgh]

...Do you know of any economic analysis any work similar to this that you think is superior?

No. I'll just quote Rex here:

More broadly, I think there is an interesting phenomenon whereby a variety of audiences--politicians, policymakers, the press, the public, even new CT professionals--look for an easy, engaging, sweeping diagnosis and answer to current security challenges. In my view, not only is it NOT that easy, but the real pay off is in understanding precisely the complexities and variations at work.

The operational funding of terrorist networks and autonomous cells is a very complex issue that also encompasses such diverse subject areas as transnational organized crime, diaspora funding of insurgent movements, narco-and-human trafficking, black markets - both local and transnational, etc. To truly understand all of the above in the context of any specific terror organization also requires a baseline of knowledge about that organization's operational structure and the environment in which it operates.

Rather than seeking a single tome with all the answers, I suggest good old fashioned research and study. It would probably help if you initially narrow your focus and try to study in-depth just one aspect. Look over what's available from official sources, such as EuroPol, FinCEN, the GAO, NCJRS, etc. etc. as well as looking over products from the wide spectrum of private entities. The people who show up at Congressional and Senate hearings on the subject often have interesting things to say - and the transcripts are almost always available on-line. As an FYI, Tamara Makarenko is one author who has written a great deal of substance on transnational organized crime as well as its links - existing and potential - with terrorism.

[bourbon]

As an FYI, Tamara Makarenko is one author who has written a great deal of substance on transnational organized crime as well as its links - existing and potential - with terrorism. [/URL]

I have been raiding my local libraries Jane's achieves, burning out Xerox's, copying Makarenko articles these days. Good info there.

Has anyone read Alms for Jihad: Charity and Terrorism in the Islamic World, by J. Millard Burr and Robert O. Collins? Cambridge press got sued under the U.K's generous libel laws by an Arab businessman, and they recalled the lot and pulped it. I snagged a copy. If there is interest, it's possible a contraband pdf could materialize out of the ether.

[Jedburgh]

WINEP, Nov 08: The Money Trail: Finding, Following, and Freezing Terrorist Finance

....Chapter 1, the introduction to this monograph, provides a broad overview of the subjects we cover, as well as some of our basic findings. In chapter 2, we explain the importance of the little-understood efforts to combat terrorist financing, and why they are and should be an important part of the global counterterrorism campaign. Chapter 3 lays out how terrorist financing—like the terrorist threat itself—is rapidly evolving, frequently in response to international efforts to combat it. As we discuss in this chapter, the terrorist groups’ adaptation in how they raise, store and, move funds can often frustrate governmental efforts to detect and stop them. In chapter 4, we assess U.S. and international efforts to combat terrorist financing since the September 11 attacks—first laying out the many areas where steps forward have been taken, then exploring some of the remaining challenges. In chapter 5, we gauge how effective U.S. and international efforts have been, pointing to specific signs of success in an area in which progress is often difficult to measure. In chapter 6, we offer numerous recommendations for U.S. policymakers to bolster the international regime in this critically important area. Chapter 7 provides three case studies, providing “status checks” on the terrorist-financing related activities of three key terrorist groups—al-Qaeda, Hamas, and Hizballah.....

[Jedburgh]

RAND, 2 Mar 09: Film Piracy, Organized Crime, and Terrorism

This report presents the findings of research into the involvement of organized crime and terrorist groups in counterfeiting a wide range of products, from watches to automobile parts, from pharmaceuticals to computer software. It presents detailed case studies from around the globe in one area of counterfeiting, film piracy, to illustrate the broader problem of criminal—and perhaps terrorist—groups finding a new and not-much-discussed way of funding their nefarious activities. Although there is less evidence of involvement by terrorists, piracy is high in payoff and low in risk for both groups, often taking place under the radar of law enforcement......