Organized Crime and Corruption in Iraq

Abstract

This article seeks to put organized crime in Iraq in a broad comparative perspective. It examines the evolution of organized crime in Iraq, from a largely state-controlled phenomenon under Saddam Hussein to a free market in criminality under the current regime, and identifies the factors which led to this transformation. It also delineates the most prevalent and lucrative criminal activities and identifies those groups and factions involved. It argues that organized crime activities have become the funding mechanism of choice, as well as a means to consolidate local control, for most of the actors engaged in violence in Iraq. The analysis also suggests that a struggle for control over resources related to criminal activities has itself helped to foment violence among certain groups. Consequently, combating organized crime must be central to the US mission in Iraq. The focus should be principally on criminal activities that contribute most to the insecurity of the Iraqi people. The analysis concludes by considering ways in which the power of criminal organizations can be diminished and the consequences of criminal activities mitigated.