Similarities Between Terrorism and Organized Crime

Similarities between terrorism and organized crime: Today’s terrorism and organized crime groups are so similar that their differences are starting to blur and the commonalities are becoming clearer. Terrorism and organized crime is a perfect match, that may have different objectives, but they can accomplish their goals through one another. The underground network, tactics they share and utilize to accomplish a task in support of one another, recruiting methods, financial institutions, and the effects of globalization and technology are the main similarities. In today’s world one does not survive without the other. Dictionary.com defines terrorism as, â€Å"The use of violence and threats to intimidate or coerce, especially for†¦show more content†¦Their tactics are so similar and their ideology is becoming so indifferent. Terrorist will sometimes conduct attacks such as kidnapping, bank robberies, smuggling of contraband, and other illegal activities on ly for capital gain to further their cause. This is no different than organized crime to gain more money for power. Many times these activities find these two organizations in cohorts. Underground networks have become the preferred method of any illegal organization. Organized criminals have street credentials that a normal criminal cannot gain due to its size, trust, and reliability. Organized criminals have spent centuries developing underground networks in order to traffic contraband throughout the world. â€Å"The FBI estimates that the underground economy produces $500 billion per year. An underground economy requires secret institutions, and terrorists have found various enterprises for hiding money,† (Terrorism Homeland Security, 7th edition; Jonathan R. White; 2012). Underground networks are not only used for smuggling money, drugs, or weapons, but people as well. The organized crime organizations are able to provide clean papers to terrorists in order for t hem to move from city to city undetected. These underground networks are used so widely now that if the terrorist organization were to crumble, the terrorists of the world would have to focus on their immediate area because theyShow MoreRelatedOrganized Crime and Terrorism1000 Words   |  4 PagesTreverton et all define crime and terrorism as illegal activities which greatly revolve around economic interests. The document accurately depicts how ‘organized crime seeks money and why terrorism needs it’ . Furthermore, according to the authors, the definitions about crime presented by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United Nations (UN), and the International Police (INTERPOL) coincide in some terms regarding the essence of organized crime. 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