Abstract
This chapter investigates the connection between the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and organized crime in Iraq and Syria. It argues that the crime-terror nexus here is one where an organization whose primary aim is overwhelmingly political, largely develops its own use of organized crime methods to raise funds for its political and military aims – with some opportunistic cooperation with existing organized crime networks. The chapter outlines the involvement of ISIS in oil smuggling, the illegal trade in antiquities and human trafficking (including kidnapping). Its shows how three factors determine the nature of the nexus in this case: pre-existing networks and practices of organized crime; the availability of valuable resources and lastly, ISIS’s objective of territorial control and state building. The chapter ends with a consideration of ISIS’s involvement in organized crime since the fall of the Caliphate.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
