Accession Number:

ADA504847

Title:

Criminals, Militias, and Insurgents: Organized Crime in Iraq

Descriptive Note:

Corporate Author:

ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA

Personal Author(s):

• Williams, Phil

Report Date:

2009-06-01

Pagination or Media Count:

294.0

Abstract:

Although organized crime has been the neglected dimension of the conflict in Iraq, both criminal enterprises and criminal activities have had a profoundly debilitating impact. Organized crime inhibited reconstruction and development and became a major obstacle to state-building the insurgency was strengthened and sustained by criminal activities sectarian conflict was funded by criminal activities and motivated by the desire to control criminal markets and more traditional criminal enterprises created pervasive insecurity through kidnapping and extortion. Organized crime also acted as an economic and political spoiler in an oil industry expected to be the dynamo for growth and reconstruction in post Baathist Iraq.

Descriptors:

• *CRIMES
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• MARKETING
• INSURGENCY
• CONFLICT
• IRAQ
• ECONOMICS

Subject Categories:

• Sociology and Law

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE