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CIAO DATE: 04/05/07
Unraveling the New Criminal Nexus
by Louise Shelly
Despite the uncertainties that remain at the outset of the twenty- first century, one fact is certain: transnational crime in its myriad forms will be a defining global issue and a challenge to the international community. The growth of transnational crime is inevitable because of the rise in regional conflicts, decline in border controls, greater international mobility of goods and people, and the growing economic disparities between developed and developing countries. These factors have created an environment in which political terrorists and transnational crime groups can thrive with globalization. Despite the gravity of these threats, the international community is not effectively combating the rise of transnational crime. States and multilateral organizations are simply failing to impede the escalating risk of transnational crime. Moreover, law enforcement and military strategies implemented to address the problem have had little effect, as existing control measures are primarily nation-based, whereas the new breed of criminals operates internationally, evading the reach of sovereign state-based institutions. Even more disheartening, some extreme military strategies to combat transnational crime and terrorism, such as those employed in Afghanistan and Iraq, are proving counterproductive by exacerbating drug trafficking and other illicit activities.1 Transnational criminal activity has experienced rapid
Louise Shelley is Professsor in the Department of Justice, Law, and Society in the School of International Service at American University and is Founder and Director of the Transnational Crime and Corruption Center.