Global Terrorism and International Crime
The International Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in cooperation with the Israeli Minister of National Infrastructures held on November 13th, 2007 the third International conference of the World Anti- Criminal and Antiterrorist Forum (WAAF) on "Global Terrorism and International Crime".
Conference Participants (in alphabetical order):
* Dr. Eitan Azani, Deputy Director, ICT, IDC Herzliya, Israel
* Mr. Binyamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer, Minister of National Infrastructures, Israel
* Mr. Avi Dichter, Minister of Internal Security, Israel
* Dr. Boaz Ganor, Executive Director, the Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT), Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya (IDC), Israel
* Mr. Anatoliy S. Kulikov, Chairman of the WAAF Board; Deputy Chairman of the RF State Duma Committee for Security; General of the Army, Russia
* Ms. Tzipi Livni, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Israel
* Mr. Alexander Novikov, Chairman of the Counter Terror Center in The Community of Independent States, Russia
* Mr. Yaacov Perri, Former head of the Israeli Security Agency (ISA), Israel
* Mr. Rupert Scholz, Deputy Chairman of the WAAF Board; Former Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany
Conference Summaries:
Ms. Tzipi Livni, Vice-Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Israel
When looking at the nature of global processes there has been a change in terms of influential international players. In the past, countries were the sole influential entity, whereas today multinational organizations play a significant role and in terms of global security threats; terrorist organizations (ie. al-Qa’ida) are of major concern. As such, the tools necessary to effectively combat the threat have changed: while formerly there was a need to influence countries accountable in international law if they wished to belong to the global community, now there is a need to deal with terrorist organizations that are not accountable to international law. The benefits of globalization and modernization gained by the international community (increased mobility, capital flows, advanced technology) also work in the advantage of terrorist groups which exploit these elements to disseminate global propaganda and perpetrate attacks.
A universal set of guidelines accepted by democracies is needed in order to define “free and fair” elections to ensure that the election process in emerging democracies is not abused by terrorist entities that use the process as a guise for their true nature. In democratic nations legislation exists to prohibit terrorist entities from participating in the election process, however when such an occasion arises (like in the case of Hamas in the Palestinian Territories), the international community does not know how to react or deal with the situation.
It is vital for world leaders to decide on their position regarding terrorism and publicly stand firm behind it, especially regarding Arab nations. It is not acceptable to play both sides of the game. In the Israeli/Palestinian arena, Israel must work with pragmatic and moderate elements within the Palestinian Authority in order they take a stand against extremism. Local leaders within the PA have their local population to contend with and if decisive backing is not provided by Arab nations, they won’t be able to effectively make a standing against such issues.
The international community needs to understand that the last thing they and the Middle East needs is another terrorist state. Proclaiming terrorists as a nation’s cultural heroes will negatively influence education and the fabric of society with long term implications and damage to the international recognition of a future Palestinian State. In Israel’s fight on all fronts to combat the threat of religious extremism and terrorism, the cooperation and support of the international community is greatly needed.
Mr. Avi Dichter, Minister for Internal Security of the State of Israel
In the relations between Israel and its neighbors, there is a strong connection between criminal activities and terrorism. Hizballah, for example, dominates drug trafficking through Israel’s northern border, whilst the Bedouins in Sinai dominate the smuggling of weapons, drugs, illegal workers and terrorists through Israel’s southern border. Likewise, Palestinians in Judea and Samira are engaged in car thefts, smuggling of illegal workers and transfer of explosive belts into Israel. The key to dealing with the phenomenon is understanding that there need to be joint responsibility and action taken between states to effectively deal with cross border networks engaged in both terrorism and criminal activities. The usage, internationally, of a biometric identification system can have a significant impact in disrupting such networks and identifying perpetrators.
In many instances, terrorists began their ‘career’ as criminals. Israel has been relatively effective in thwarting terrorist attacks due to its commitment of resources, while the same level of commitment does not exist in the fight against criminals and their networks. Israel has a strong intelligence community that effectively fights terrorism; the same level of resources are needed to deal with criminals. What is lacking at present is an adequate budget which would allow them to do so. Until this problem is rectified, Israel can strengthen alliances with friendly nations to share knowledge and as such gain from the experiences of countries such as France that are investing heavily in research and development of their law enforcement agencies. Nevertheless, Israel will continue to implement whatever means at its disposal to provide security for the citizens of Israel.
Mr. Yaacov Perri, Former head of the Israel Security Agency
Intelligence communities in Israel and worldwide have a vital role in the decision making process of nations. However, cooperation and coordination failures often result in shortcomings relating to their potential effectiveness. As a result, there is an effort towards research of intelligence community operations within the international framework in order to improve their modus operandi in the areas of methodology, coordination, technology and economics.
The relative quite Israel has been experiencing in terms of terrorist attacks can be attributed primarily to the success of its secret service, the Shin Bet, and the role of intelligence in enabling security forces to foil terrorist attacks.
Mr. Ehud Barak (Minister of Defense of the State of Israel)
The global threat we are facing today involves a triad of challenges: terrorism, nuclear proliferation and rogue states, all of which are intertwined. There is a need to mobilize all the tools at the disposal of the international community - economic, diplomatic etc - in order to effectively combat the threats these elements pose to international security. Political will, international determination and self confidence are essential in pursuing such an effort.
There are four areas in which the international community should focus:
1. Movement of containers: each year, commercial vessels carrying 16-17 million containers perform approximately 300 million movements on the seas. This presents the terrorists an attractive option to move weapons, materials and people to benefit their operations. There is an urgent need for an enhanced control system to inspect and monitor every container by way of highly advanced technology and international cooperation.
2. Civilian passenger airlines: with approximately 33 000 airliners flying each day, they are an attraction for terrorists seeking to cause disruption and mass casualties. The easiest method of attack would be the use of shoulder-launched missiles; a method of attack the international community can prevent through the installation of a highly advanced system to deflect the missiles. The cost, although likely to be in excess of 50 billion dollars, is a small price to pay for the security it would provide.
3. Controlling ground entrances to major targets: whilst Israel has only two major sea ports and one major airport, other countries such as the US have hundreds of each. Therefore, there is a need, if we want to effectively control and secure these potential targets, to invest in enhanced security measures.
4. Protecting major installations: Securing the periphery of power stations, airports and seaports is essential to prevent a major disturbance and destruction caused by a terrorist attack. In this field, Israel has extensive experience, the knowledge of which is both important and beneficial for the world to improve national security measures.
Since 9/11, there has been significant improvement in national and international coordination; however it needs to be developed further. Using intelligence information to break up criminal networks that engage in the smuggling of people, weapons or narcotics would be a significant development. It is already known that terrorists and criminals are using highly sophisticated methods of transportation, encryption technology and other methods to support their money laundering and narcotics trafficking activities. In order to successfully combat this trend, democracies need to be prepared to protect themselves, specifically, by taking a tough stance and reconsidering their privacy laws allowing for the penetration of ‘private’ information under specific emergency laws that can assist in providing greater security in the long run.
Coordination is key in defeating the triad of challenges and threats. Coordination between intelligence communities and governments is essential in order to deal effectively with transnational networks. We have to understand that terrorists would not hesitate to use biological or nuclear technology against their designated target, the destruction of which would be devastating.
We must also reconsider the role of China and Russia and view them as partners in this struggle. Now the time has come for more effective steps to be taken against Iran and the only way to launch an effective system to block its nuclear military program is by joining with China, Russia and India in order to enforce effective sanctions. In order to gain such cooperation we need to prioritize our interests. However urgent it is to encourage and even enforce the same standards of open society and granting of human rights in China and to address the desire of the Chechens to gain independence, priorities have to be made. For the moment, this priority lies with the threats this triad poses and specifically the threat a nuclear Iran will pose to regional and international stability.
There is enough resilience and vitality amongst the international community to deal with the challenges at hand. However we must deal not only with the symptoms but also the root causes: absence of social openness, the role of religion, poverty etc. Tackling such issues takes time. We must be patient and realize that providing a solution to such problems will take generations, however this is what must be done to ensure a more secure world for the future.
Panel One: Counter – Terrorism and International Crime – the International Perspectives
The panel was moderated by Senior Researcher Ely Karmon and consisted of Mr. Anatoly S. Kulikov, Chairman of the WAAF board, Former Minister of Defense of the Federal Republic of Germany Mr. Rupert Scholz, and Dr. Boaz Ganor, founder and Executive Director of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism and Deputy Dean of Lauder School of Government.
The main themes discussed during the session were the roots of terrorism, how it has evolved, and the steps needed to thwart terrorism internationally today.
General Kulikov began with the point that "not all Muslims are terrorists, but most terrorists are Muslims." This stems from the fact that Muslims have a deep relationship with Islam. Many Muslims are extremely dedicated to their religion and are convinced it is the anecdote to all of society's problems. This idea led to Wahhabism, a radical form of Islam which posits that all Muslims should unite to fight against infidels, Crusaders, and even other Muslims who are somewhat integrated within the Western world. As Kulikov explained, modern extremists hold an Islamist form of Islam where individuals are either with them or against them. Wahhabism has brought about extremism and terrorism which has spread internationally and now poses a major threat on a global level.
Al-Qa'ida is one of the quintessential groups responsible for turning terrorism into a global phenomenon. They began as a traditional group comprised of Islamists to fight infidels. However, as Dr. Ganor explained, they were forced to alter their modus operandi following the 2001 war with the US in Afghanistan due to loss of manpower and freedom of movement of leaders wanted by the world. They continued to plan, initiate, and support terrorist plots; however, they used alternate organizations to actually carry out the attacks. Soon, they became a known threat to countries they were operating out of such as Egypt, Yemen, and Jordan. Rather than running the risk of having action taken against them, Al-Qa'ida changed their modus operandi once again. They became strictly inspirational, encouraging other people to launch attacks out of personal initiative without any specific orders.
Dr. Ganor warned that homegrown terrorism is now the most dangerous brand as individuals willing to take up a Jihad cause are most likely familiar with the country, speak the language, and have local passports. Furthermore, homegrown terrorism has become extremely feasible due to the internet and mass media which have been extremely useful in helping Al-Qa'ida to spread propaganda to potential activists all over the world. This strategy has been proven effective as several terrorists involved in recent plots have been second generation citizens born in their home countries.
The propaganda being sent is extremely effective because it targets a specific profile most likely to get indoctrinated. The message is Wahhabist in nature as it creates a feeling of belonging by glorifying the history of Islam, and creating a crystal clear picture casting Jews and crusaders as the enemies. It further attempts to make the viewer feel discriminated against for being a minority in his home country and thus heeding a call for revenge. Finally there is a divine call to action, to seize the day and save Islam. This message has inspired many activists to acquire training in Afghanistan, and create sleeper cells in their home countries.
How can we fight these terror networks? As Dr. Ganor noted "It takes networks to beat networks.” He further explained that it is imperative to combine the efforts of every state. This includes the need for intelligence, first response, police, and security measures to all work together along with the need for Muslim leaders to speak out against terrorism.
In order for networks to work well together, it is crucial that laws formed on a national level are designed to impede terrorism while protecting human rights. Mr. Scholz further explained that laws on an international level are also needed, specifically a uniform definition of the term terrorism by the international community is necessary.
Panel Two: Global Terrorism and International Crime – Case Studies
Case studies dealing with Global Terrorism and International Crime were presented by three esteemed scholars. The panel was led by Ely Karmon, Senior researcher at the International Institute of Counter-Terrorism, and featured Col. (Res.) Jonathan Fighel, another senior researcher at ICT, Dr. Eitan Azani, the Deputy Director at ICT, and Mr. Andrey Novikov, the Chairman of the Counter Terror Center in the Community of Independent States, Russia. Each panelist showcased a case study which highlighted the relationship between Terrorism and criminal activity.
The Hezbollah's criminal activities in the international arena as a platform for operational activities and as a means of financing the organization's operations.
Dr. Eitan Azani
Alongside its military-terror, political and economic-social activities, the Hezbollah also controls a diverse criminal operation which includes involvement in the drug industry, counterfeit money, trading in stolen goods, smuggling and fraud in Lebanon and the international arena. The Hezbollah's criminal activities are intended to advance a number of the organizations' important goals:
1. The creation of an independent significant channel to raise funds, in addition to the financing which they receive from Iran.
2. Utilizing professional criminal elements to improve the organization's operational capabilities in Israel, the Arab states and the international arena, (this was well demonstrated in the exposure of drug smuggling networks in Israel, which combined the smuggling of drugs with intelligence gathering and smuggling of arms for the Hezbollah).
3. Harming Israel's social and economic fabric and that of other Western countries, particularly the U.S., as part of the struggle which Iran and the Hezbollah are waging against them.
The presentation analyzes a number of test cases which point to the connection between Hezbollah's criminal and operational activities in the Middle East and the international arena, as follows:
1. The triangle of Latin American borders – a joint local and international criminal network, which also included Hezbollah's operational activists. This network was involved in operations to finance Hezbollah and in attacks against Jewish/Israeli targets in Argentina in the 1990s.
2. Israel – the Omar Alhib affair – proved the connection between Hezbollah's attempts to smuggle drugs into Israel and utilize the smugglers for operational intelligence gathering on Israeli targets.
3. North America – Canada and the U.S. – a local-regional crime network which operated to finance local organizational activities, financing the organization in Lebanon and smuggling arms into Lebanon.
4. West Africa – Hezbollah involvement in illegal trading of diamonds and fund raising amongst the Lebanese communities in West Africa, as an additional financing channel for the organization's operations.
Insurgency and Criminality – Iraq and the Palestinian Authority
Col. (Res.) Jonathan Fighel
Terms enabling Insurgency and Criminality
* Ungoverned territory as an area in which a state faces significant challenges in establishing control.
* Ungoverned means that territories are outside the control of the government that holds nominal sovereignty over the territory in question.
Indicators of Ungovernability
* Lack of state/governing power penetration, autonomous pockets.
* Tribalism, warlords, traditional networked society, past history of criminality/ insurgency.
* Absence of state and civilian formal institutions.
* Corruption and the prevalence of the informal economy.
* Lack of monopoly on force.
* Lack of border controls / porous borders, external subversive intervention forces. (Ideology, religion, funding, arms, ”incubation hub”, safe heaven, logistic support). Cross border insurgency / terrorism.
* Criminal syndicates available for hire.
* Dual or more sources of power.
Iraq insurgency and criminality
The terrorist smuggling capabilities overlaps the same techniques and routs used by criminals to smuggle narcotics and carry out petty crimes. The "Rat trail", a past criminal smuggling route from Syria to Iraq through the Western Al- Anbar province in Iraq, was adopted as the main smuggling pipeline to the Sunni triangle to reinforce insurgency. The capabilities to smuggle weapons in during the insurgency are now being utilized by terrorists to smuggle weapons, explosives, money, fugitives, and operatives. Al- Anbar was an ungoverned territory that met all the criteria mentioned above, as a source of instability and insurgency factor in that part of Iraq.
The principal tribes in the al-Falluja/al-Ramadi area, the Al-Dulaim, Al-Jubbur, Al-Shummar, Al-`Ubaidat and the Al-Hamdan tribes, have morphed historic criminality as way of life, i.e. the smuggling of cash currency (Hawalla), goods, vehicles, spare parts fugitives, terror operatives, weapons and explosives and thus assist in terror infiltration and cross border terrorism. For a long period the US forces did not meet the tribal challenge, understanding the nature of the environment and plan steps accordingly. Only in the last two years a major effort was dedicated to this region and to the tribal factor as a source that has to be dealt with operationally and from the socio-economic aspects to gain the harts and minds of the tribes. The tribes were in fact a major factor in the stabilization process in Iraq and should have been taken into consideration while dealing with counter insurgency strategies.
Fighting a counterinsurgency in a traditionally networked society
* The tribal culture itself sustains an insurrectionary movement
* Understanding tribal culture and the motivations of tribal elements
* Engage the tribal system, influential clerics, tribal leaders
* Neutralizing the insurgents. (Operatives, Logistics, Infrastructure)
* Creating a viable security apparatus
* Developing and establishing central and local administration
The Palestinian Authority led by Hamas acquired during the years 2006-7 weapons by smuggling them via sea and land. The land smuggling trails were mainly done through tunnels dug from Egypt-Sinai desert to the Gaza Strip underneath the border crossing. Those tunnels were active long before the current circle of violence that started in 2000.The smuggling tunnels were constructed and owned by a handful of criminal families from the Palestinian town of Rafah, and served as a source of income from criminal smugglings of good, narcotics, human trafficking etc. An additional smuggling route is the Negev desert that represents a porous border between Israel and Egypt. Beduin tribes traditionally used these routes as a source of income within an ungovernened territory with no effective law enforcement on both sides of the Israeli-Egyptian border that is porous and difficult to seal. The sea smuggling route includes shipments of weapons (incl. high grade weapons) and ammunitions from Egypt and Lebanon to the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Novikov came to the same conclusion when summing up the threats of terrorism in Post-Soviet Union territories. He proposed that a "trans-national war against terrorism is needed." In 2006, the growth in number of terrorist attacks increased by 25 percent. It would seem the further spread of terrorism is certain and the probability of nuclear and radiological terrorism is also a risk. Due to this, Novikov emphasized the importance of combined forces against terrorism for the stability of Community Independent States of Russia.
|