Narcoterrorism
Narcoterrorism: Relation between Two Issues
Anthony P. Brewer
Community College of Baltimore County
On 9 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly issues declaration 51/210 (1994) on measures to eliminate terrorism wherein it expressed concerns “at the growing and dangerous links between terrorist groups and drug traffickers and their paramilitary gangs, which have resorted to all types of violence, thus endangering the constitutional order of states and violating basic human rights.” Since then, heated discussions have been surrounding the issue of financing international terrorism through use of illicit drug, money laundering, illegal arms trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological, and other deadly materials. The term narcoterrorism, coined in 1983 by a former president of Peru, refers to groups using either drug trade profits to finance terrorism or use terrorist tactics to support drug operations (White pg.80). According to Rachel Ehrenfeld’s research in 2003, manufacturing and distributing drug is the primary source of money to support terrorist actions. The United States Government tends to accept this proposal, however stays extremely controversial. Former President Belaunde Terry of Peru coined the term “narcoterrorism” in 1983 when describing terrorist style attacks against his nation’s anti-narcotic police. Since then, over thirty countries can establish linkage between armed conflicts and illicit drug production and trafficking with reasonable certainty. The United Nations estimates there are more than one hundred countries involved in some form in drug trade through cultivation, processing, trafficking, distribution, or laundering profits (Schmid 2005 pg.2). Organized criminals, smugglers, and drug dealers naturally because they move in the same circles claims Steven Casteel, and executive with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Casteel goes on the claim the relationship between drugs and terrorism
Anthony P. Brewer
Community College of Baltimore County
On 9 December 1994, the United Nations General Assembly issues declaration 51/210 (1994) on measures to eliminate terrorism wherein it expressed concerns “at the growing and dangerous links between terrorist groups and drug traffickers and their paramilitary gangs, which have resorted to all types of violence, thus endangering the constitutional order of states and violating basic human rights.” Since then, heated discussions have been surrounding the issue of financing international terrorism through use of illicit drug, money laundering, illegal arms trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological, and other deadly materials. The term narcoterrorism, coined in 1983 by a former president of Peru, refers to groups using either drug trade profits to finance terrorism or use terrorist tactics to support drug operations (White pg.80). According to Rachel Ehrenfeld’s research in 2003, manufacturing and distributing drug is the primary source of money to support terrorist actions. The United States Government tends to accept this proposal, however stays extremely controversial. Former President Belaunde Terry of Peru coined the term “narcoterrorism” in 1983 when describing terrorist style attacks against his nation’s anti-narcotic police. Since then, over thirty countries can establish linkage between armed conflicts and illicit drug production and trafficking with reasonable certainty. The United Nations estimates there are more than one hundred countries involved in some form in drug trade through cultivation, processing, trafficking, distribution, or laundering profits (Schmid 2005 pg.2). Organized criminals, smugglers, and drug dealers naturally because they move in the same circles claims Steven Casteel, and executive with the Drug Enforcement Administration. Casteel goes on the claim the relationship between drugs and terrorism
Cited: Ehrenfeld, R. (2003). Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed and How to Stop It. Chicago: Bonus Books. General Assembly. (1994). A/RES/51/210: Measures to Eliminate International Terrorism. Online: http://www.un.org/documents/ga/res/51/a51r210.htm Krasna, J. S. (1997). “Narcotics and the National Security Producer States.” Texas Law Review. Online: http://www.lib.unb.ca/Texts/JCS/s96/articles/krasna.html. Schmid, A. (2005). Links between Terrorism and Drug Trafficking: A Case of “Narco-terrorism”. Online:http://www.turkishpolicy.com/images/stories/2004-02-globalsecurity/TPQ2004-2-schmid.pdf. White, J. R. (2014). Terrorism and Homeland Security. California: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.