Transnational Threats: Smuggling and Trafficking in Arms, Drugs, and Human Life

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This collection of essays demonstrates how the security of Americans is potentially threatened by individuals and governments who are engaged in the illicit trade in arms, drugs, and human beings in distant parts of the globe. More than just a threat to Americans, the essays underscore that these activities are often detrimental to the United States interests around the world due to the destabilizing impact that each activity can have on a nation or region. More revealing is how terrorists benefit from this illegal trade, generating critical sources of funding used for everything from recruiting to procurement of weapons and explosives of all types to extend and expand the scope of their struggle. The scope of this work is truly global. Fourteen essays touch on prevailing problems from the Balkans to Southeast Asia and the Pacific; from Africa to the Caribbean, and more. In each essay, the authors explore a problem that not only has direct regional repercussions, but larger international ones as well. The essays present problems that result from these illegal activities as a global epidemic, not simply regionalized problems.

Reviews

Thachuk has compiled a collection of essays that provide an overview of the dark side of globalization and establish strong connections between organized crime and terrorist groups. The work carefully documents the extent of these transnational challenges--ranging from narco-terrorism to human trafficking to small-arms trafficking. The book includes chapters that cover countries, regions, and international issues. In addition, the US is treated both as a potential leader in attempts to control transnational crime and as a venue for it. Many will be surprised by the extent of human trafficking and forms of slavery within the US. Each transnational threat is discussed, the security implications elucidated, and the successes and failures to control them explained. Each contributor utilizes an interdisciplinary approach, incorporating diverse insights from disciplines such as geography and economics. Particularly helpful are discussions of both the impediments to, and opportunities for, cooperation at the international (and in some cases interagency) level. The contributors are academics well versed in policy issues, high-level analysts from institutions such as RAND and the CIA, and practitioners with salient experience. Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research, and professional collections. * Choice *
The nexus between organized crime and terrorism is the subject of Transnational Threats: Smuggling and Trafficking in Arms, Drugs, and Human LifeThis volume is an important contribution to our understanding of the convergence of transnational crime and terror. * Commentary *
Thachuk gathers contributors from organizations such as the FBI, the CIA, the RAND Corporation, and the Congressional Research Service to provide examples of the nexus between organized criminal activity and terrorism around the world. Contributors show how these activities are detrimental to US interests, how they destabilize nations or regions, and how terrorists benefit from the illegal trade in arms, drugs, and human beings. Human trafficking into the US, smuggling and the Caribbean, South Asian organized crime and linkages to terrorist networks, and drug smuggling in Central Eurasia are some areas explored. * Reference & Research Book News *

Author Bio

Kimberley L. Thachuk is currently a senior research fellow in the Center for Technology and National Security Policy at the National Defense University. Previously she was a visiting professor in the Elliott School of International Affairs at The George Washington University. Dr. Thachuk has published widely on International crime, terrorism, and other transnational threats to U.S. national security.