Understanding the Links between Organized Crime and Terrorism in Military Operations

Abstract

Organized crime is becoming a large-scale business that is conducting global commerce for the trafficking of illegal services and products as well as developing the associated supply chains. Criminal organizations are conducting commerce across traditional nation-state boundaries allowing criminal groups to work in coordination with other like groups; this coordination is called transnational crime. The United Nations (UN), aware of this activity, has stated that "the traditional hierarchical forms of organized crime groups have diminished; replaced with loose networks who work together to exploit new" markets of opportunity (UNODC 2006d, paragraph 2). These loose networks have many resources available to affiliates that include financial services, global transportation, and the weapons industry. Criminals, organized crime, and terrorist networks have access to these valuable resources via this affiliation. Organized crime, consequently, may be used as a tool of war.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 15, 2007
Accession Number
ADA471513

Entities

People

  • Ingrid A. Parker

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Criminals
  • Drug Abuse
  • Employment
  • Ethnic Groups
  • Geography
  • Human Population
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Organizations
  • Military Science
  • National Politics
  • Personnel Management
  • Political Systems
  • Recreation
  • Societies
  • Sociology
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists

Readers

  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.