Crime-Terror Nexus Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

In the vast literature on terrorism the choice of weapons has received relatively limited attention, despite the importance and visibility of this topic. Building on the literature on innovation in terrorism, the article first proposes a multi-level analytical framework that helps study terrorist weapon selection. It then investigates the use of weapons in jihadist attacks in Europe from 2014, with the rise of the so-called Islamic State, until 2020, based on an original database. The empirical analysis shows that the two traditional types of weapon of modern terrorism, firearms and explosives, were largely replaced by more primitive tools like melee weapons. In fact, in recent years jihadist terrorists in Europe have become less technologically advanced. Based on the original analytical framework, the article examines the reasons of this evolution, paying special attention to the use of the most common type of weapon in the database, bladed weapons, and the most lethal type, firearms.

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- Social Sciences, Terrorism, Political Violence and Terrorism, Radicalization

Given the complexities of our time, it is not surprising that criminological models, theories and perspectives often fall short of providing complete and satisfactory explanations of complex phenomena. Organised crime and terrorism, and the emerging crime-terror nexus, are examples of such phenomena. If they were simple, they would be easy to understand and prevent, but they are not. Complexity science (‘complexity’) studies complex phenomena. Given the nature of organised crime, terrorism and the crime-terror nexus, one would expect that the family of complexity, including chaos theory, might lend itself to furthering our understanding and knowledge of these phenomena. Drawing on the natural and social sciences, this thesis explores the notion. In doing so, a new complexity model, using borrowed science, is developed to apply complexity in a criminological context, and to critically examine organised crime, terrorism and the crime-terror nexus through a complexity lens. The new complexity model is tested using the case study method and considers whether the new model furthers our understanding and knowledge of these complex phenomena, together with practical and policy implications. The thesis also considers whether the new complexity model adds a new tool to the criminologist’s toolbox to provide fresh and novel insights into complex problems.

- by Julie Beesley
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- Terrorism, Complexity Theory, Chaos Theory, Criminological Theory

This chapter will emphasize the need to foster robust partnerships among the public, private, and civic sectors of society to counter the convergence of illicit networks at home and abroad. It will examine three specific areas where multi-sector collaborations are underway and have experienced some success: (1) protecting privacy, cyberspace, and critical infrastructure with the private sector through formal information sharing mechanisms; (2) combating threats to the international banking system, such as terrorist financing, money laundering, and cybercrime, in partnership with the financial services sector; and (3) countering violent extremism and foreign fighter recruitment by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) with local communities and civil society organizations in the United States. These examples illustrate the challenging nature of these security threats and the importance of harnessing resources across various sectors to counter them. Since the government no longer enjoys a monopoly on national security or the use of force as it did in the past, it must adopt a “whole of society” approach to understand and address the evolving threats to our security and prosperity in this globalized world. In the 21st century, all sectors need to communicate, cooperate, and collaborate (C³) through public-private partnerships (P³) to counter the convergence of illicit networks and ensure national security.

- by Celina Realuyo and +1
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- Convergence, Cybersecurity, Public Private Partnership, Anti money laundering and Terrorist Financing

This bibliography contains journal articles, book chapters, books, edited volumes, theses, grey literature, bibliographies, and other resources on the intersections of terrorism and organized crime in Latin America. It includes publications on numerous insurgent groups in Latin America that are relevant to studies on the links between terrorism and organized crime in the region. Well-known examples are groups such as the FARC and ELN in Colombia, the Shining Path of Peru, but also Mexican criminal organizations such as the Cártel de Sinaloa (CDS) or the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG). Wherever relevant to the terrorism-organized crime nexus, publications on violent gangs and criminal cartels from various other Latin American countries are also included.

- by David Teiner
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- FARC, Crime-Terror Nexus, FARC EP, Mexican Drug Cartels

The self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) recently shocked the world by destroying a number of archaeological sites throughout the region under its control, among which also the ancient Assyrian cities of Nineveh and Nimrud. Determined to impose its culture as the dominant one in the region, Daesh – the Arabic equivalent of ISIS – calls for the destruction of all cultural property referring to other religious groups, as well as Islamic artefacts they consider haram or forbidden in Islam, such as religious shrines and art depicting human faces. In reality, the trade in looted artefacts from Syria and Iraq to the rest of the world represents a major source of income for the terrorist group.

- by Annelies Pauwels
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- Terrorism, Illicit Antiquities Trade, Organised Crime, Crime-Terror Nexus

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os processos de inserção do terrorismo na agenda de segurança sul-americana. Ele se enquadra nas Resoluções nº 114/2014 e 115/2014 da Câmara de Pós-Graduação da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul e, portanto, é dividido em três partes. A PARTE I consiste em uma contextualização do objeto de pesquisa, composta por uma descrição geral do objetivo do trabalho, bem como a delimitação do objeto, marco teórico e marco temporal. A PARTE II apresenta o artigo em si, o qual analisa os processos de securitização do terrorismo no Norte Andino, a partir da associação entre os movimentos guerrilheiros colombianos e o narcotráfico com o terrorismo, e no Cone Sul, através das suspeitas de financiamento de grupos extremistas islâmicos decorrente de atividades ilícitas na região da tríplice fronteira entre Argentina, Brasil e Paraguai. O objetivo consiste em demonstrar as maneiras com as quais o terrorismo foi inserido na agenda regional de segurança e as influências dos atores externos e internos nestes processos. Para tanto, foram utilizadas técnicas de analise qualitativa, com base nas contribuições da Escola de Copenhague, no âmbito dos Estudos de Segurança Internacional, no exame de documentos oficiais e mídias locais dos países envolvidos. A PARTE III apresenta a descrição da agenda de pesquisa a ser seguida.

- by Laura Lammerhirt
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- Terrorism, Colombia, Securitization, Copenhagen School/Securitization

Contemporary nonstate threats including criminal cartels, gangs, mafias, insurgents, and terrorists operate on a global scope with distinct local characteristics. Local actors link with global actors to conduct operations through alliances and within a range of network configurations. The expanding reach of criminal, terrorist, and hybrid actors challenge local, national, and global security as crime and war converge. This paper will look into the types of connections among local–global actors and at the need for networked, global criminal, and security intelligence operations, including co-operative intelligence fusion (intelligence co-production) to address transnational crime and terrorism.

The nations of Central America, especially those forming the “Northern Triangle” (El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras), face increasingly formidable security threats from transnational-transregional threat networks, cyber criminals, and the challenges from technology. Military and security forces are required to diagnose and determine how to counter these threats, adapting to asymmetric conflicts and agile, cunning adversaries. Traditional security cooperation must be supplemented with increasing institutional capacity to manage resources and policies. The William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies (WJPC) provides a conducive venue to analyze and discuss these issues affecting the security of the Western Hemisphere. To that end, and as a follow-up to U.S. Southern Command’s Central America Security Conference (CANSEC), the Perry Center co-hosted, with the Guatemalan Ministry of Defense, a Central American Regional Countering Transregional-Transnational Threats Seminar, for seven Central American countries (Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Panama), plus Canada, Mexico, Colombia, and the U.S., in Antigua, Guatemala from 20-22 June 2017.

In 1993, a transnational crime organization known as D-Company carried out mass-casualty terrorist bombings in Mumbai, India. The reasons for this action have been attributed to religious grievances. However, little attention has been given to the role played by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence in supporting the bombings. Taking into account what has emerged in the public domain over the last 28 years regarding ISI links with D-Company and with international jihadist groups more generally, a re-assessment of the 1993 bombings is required. Hitherto regarded as an example of 'crime-terror convergence', it appears that D-Company might be more aptly considered an instrument of covert action.

A background in 'ordinary' crime, violence and drug use seems to characterize many European individuals recently involved in ISIS-related jihadi violence. With its long tradition of studying marginalized populations and street culture, criminology offers novel ways to explore these developments theoretically. In this article, we demonstrate how Pierre Bourdieu's concepts of capital, habitus and field allow for a nuanced analysis of how certain individuals move from street to politico-religious criminality. We show that 'investments' in street capital can be expended within the field of violent jihadism. We argue that an embodied street habitus supports continuities in attitudes and behaviours within different violent contexts, and furthermore that street social capital facilitates recruitment to violent jihadism. Finally, reflection is offered on resonances between street and jihadi fields. The article explains how continuities in lifestyle can exist between the European city and a Middle Eastern battleground.

- by Sveinung Sandberg
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- Pierre Bourdieu, Bourdieu, Jihadism, Crime-Terror Nexus

This paper has been published on Strife Blog as a 4-part series on the crime/terror nexus, and in particular on the use of terrorist tactics by organised crime. Why should a criminal organisation use dangerous terrorist tactics? Which kind of objective is it pursuing? Is this an entirely new phenomenon? Andrea Varsori, Martin Stein, and Joe Atkins deal with these questions in three parts, dealing with case-studies from India, Italy, and Mexico.

- by Andrea Varsori
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- Terrorism, Organized Crime, Transnational Organized Crime, Atrocities

After 13 years of conflict in Afghanistan, money has replaced ideology and vengeance as a reason for Taliban ties. National or Islamic goals no longer motivate foot soldiers under the organization’s name, making "political Islamism" and... more

After 13 years of conflict in Afghanistan, money has replaced ideology and vengeance as a reason for Taliban ties.
National or Islamic goals no longer motivate foot soldiers under the organization’s name, making "political
Islamism" and "violent" or "Islamic extremism" ineffective terms.

- by Hekmatullah Azamy
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- Terrorism, Afghanistan, Political Violence and Terrorism, Pakistan

Al Hawl camp remains the largest Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Northeastern Syria. The camp holds people who fled ISIS as well as individuals and families connected to ISIS (members and supporters) who were displaced from its former territory. It currently holds around 68,000 people, 94% of whom are women and children. ISIS and its predecessor, Al Qaeda in Iraq, have benefited from prison contexts which were fundamental for both groups to grow. Prisons have proven to be breeding grounds for Jihadist indoctrination and networking. Al Hawl has been part of ISIS's strategy through crime and terror networks that have developed within the camp. ISIS residents in Al Hawl camp conduct terrorist indoctrination, radicalization, human smuggling, document fraud, forgery and financing. These criminal activities have aided ISIS in having the upper hand inside the camp while preparing its militants for a future role in case the caliphate is restored. In the meantime, since its territorial defeat two years ago, ISIS has benefited from the human smuggling networks that operate in Syria since 2011. Smuggling its fighters, facilitators and families out of the conflict zone has been an important strategy for ISIS future ambitions.

Thanks to Daesh’s recent territorial gains in Libya, its rivalry with the al-Qaeda network has been taken to the next level. In their battle for supporters, fighters and funding, the jihadists are competing fiercely for the most lucrative... more

- by Annelies Pauwels
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- Terrorism, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, al-Qaeda, Crime-Terror Nexus

The research project is an evaluative analysis of the increasing collaboration between transnational organized crime (TOC) and foreign terrorist organization (FTOs) and its impact on US national security and homeland defense. The study depicts trending associations between TOC and FTOs, contemporary combating TOC and counterterrorism strategies, and provides recommendations to mitigate the increased threat the rising crime-terror nexus poses to the US and its interests. The qualitative comparative analysis of previous articles and government publications demonstrates the crime-terror nexus is a rapidly growing trend and can be deemed a clear threat to US national security and homeland defense. Finally, the project establishes the crime-terror nexus as the potential “Fifth Wave” of Modern Terrorism with the increased indistinction between TOC and FTOs analysis of case studies examining groups such as Los Zetas, Hezbollah, and the Taliban. The study concludes that the crime-terror nexus between TOC and FTOs presents a significant threat to US national security and homeland defense and will require current CTOC and CT strategies to adapt to overcome the growing trend.

Narco-terrorism is a term used to denote the convergence between drug trafficking and insurgencies and stemmed from the increasingly violent methods used by the Medellin Cartel and Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The following project is a threat assessment and policy analysis of modern narco-terrorism's global security issues and the increasing crime-terror nexus. First, the threat assessment will focus on Mexican Drug Trafficking Organizations and the Taliban in Afghanistan and their respective comparison to the previously mentioned non-state actors. Second, it will address the cartels' use of terror tactics to protect their drug trade, and the latter showing the utilization of the drug trade to fund an ongoing insurgency. Finally, the policy analysis will review past and current policies and provide recommendations based on previous successes and failures, again using Colombia as a case example.

- by Ben Varlese
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- Narcotics and terrorism, Crime-Terror Nexus, Narco-terrorism

Italy’s experience with jihadism presents some interesting peculiarities. At first glance, there are several overlapping reasons to consider the country as a major hub of jihadist mobilization and target for terrorist attacks. Yet, somewhat counterintuitively, Italy has not faced a particularly intense challenge from jihadist terrorism. Levels of domestic radicalization are, by any account, significantly lower than in most other European and Western countries.
Overall, Italy has a diverse jihadist scene that resembles that of other European countries, but which is substantially smaller in size and less sophisticated. Nonetheless, over the course of the past 12 months, various incidents have increased Italian counterterrorism authorities’ concerns, as they reveal Italian links to foreign attacks and growth in the homegrown scene. Italian authorities have developed skills and legal tools that are useful in confronting jihadist terrorism. These
repressive tactics, however, have not been accompanied by an equally robust preventive approach. Unlike most Western countries, in fact, Italy has not yet developed any systematic program or strategy aimed towards counter-radicalization or de-radicalization.

- by Francesco Marone
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- Sociology, Terrorism, Violence, International Terrorism
- by Yalí Noriega
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- Terrorism, Organized Crime, Mexico, War on Drugs
- by Mustafa Cosar Unal
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- Business, Criminology, Law, Social Networks

- by Laura Lammerhirt
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- Terrorism, Colombia, Political Science, Securitization

21nci yüzyılda güvenlik anlayışı değişen tehdit algılamalarının sonucu olarak değişmiştir. Yeni tehdit algılamaları terör ve organize suç örgütlerini de birer başat aktör olarak değerlendirilmesine yol açmıştır. Ayrıca Soğuk Savaş Dönemi’nde bu iki organizasyonun arkasındaki devlet desteklerinin yeni dünya düzeninde erozyona uğraması terör ve organize suç örgütlerinin birbirleriyle olan ilişkilerinde de değişikliğe neden olmuştur. Bu iki organizasyon küreselleşmenin katalizör etkisiyle hem kendi içlerinde hem de birbirleriyle olan ilişkilerinde dönüşüm yaşamışlardır. Özellikle birbirleriyle başlangıçta alışveriş ilişkisi olarak başlayan ilişkiler daha sonraları her iki organizasyonun birbirlerinden etkilenmesiyle bir dönüşüm içerisine girmiştir.

- by Huseyin SURUCU
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- Globalization, Terrorism, Organized Crime, Crime-Terror Nexus

Can we tackle the crime-terror nexus in a new and meaningful way? The nexus between transnational crime and terrorism manifests itself in several ways, and for this reason, it is complex and dynamic. The fall of the Soviet Union and the birth of the information age in the late 21 th Century manifested in an increase of the intersection between crime and terrorism. Broad international efforts to disrupt terrorism over the last ten years generated sweeping changes in the application of military force, brought changes to legal frameworks for law enforcement and focused academic study on the essence and motivations of terrorist groups. In this article we discuss the changing world context of terrorism, the underpinnings of academic research on the crime-terror nexus and the influence of corruption and globalization. As practitioners, we then outline the challenges and frustrations of working in this field. We present a model to illustrate that bringing together the resources of law enforcement, academia, and the military can provide a structurally coherent instrument with which to challenge the ever-changing perplexities of this problem set.

- by Christian Azevedo and +1
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- International Relations, Terrorism, International Terrorism, Middle East Studies