Groups labeled terrorist organizations or liberation movements have shown the same skills as any Wall Street investor in channeling assets into legal structures and businesses in pursuit of their broader goals. And at the same time, armed groups financing their activities through drug-running, illicit diamond sales, car theft, credit card fraud or arms dealing use the Western financial system to launder their income.
Read her original analysis for the Atlantic Community: Why the West Lost the Financial War against Terror
Loretta Napoleoni is the best selling author of Terror Incorporated and Insurgent Iraq. She is an expert on financing of terrorism and advises several governments on counter-terrorism. She is senior partner of G Risk, a London based risk agency. More information on her homepage.
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June 1, 2008
ilyas m mohsin, ppp, Platinum Contributor (250)
It appears that terrorism turned an asset which was used for advancing political agendas not onlt by extremists but also by the neo-cons in the US.
Post 9/11 if the US had focused on pursuing the 'suspects' with the help of state institutions, including Tenet' CIA, it would have been tackled as a great challange but with means that would conform to being 'business as usual.' Given the tremendous sympathy for the US as a victim, all countries would have helped in this man-hunt. Even UN' resources could have been drafted for the purpose and the US would have maintained the moral superiority of a victim functioning within the bounds of International Law/ its own law, Constitution. But such a course would have denied the gains made by the MNCs/ oil lobby in the US from the
'occupation of Iraq/ Afghanistan with the help of surrogates for, what is now called 'democracy. The paranoia created by the Administration may also have helped it to gain domestic support of 'frightened' Americans. This is borne out by McCllenan', of White House fame, tremendous disclosures in his latest book. So while US suffers grieviously, those in power and their hangers-on have field day.