On the Trail of Terror Finance: What Law Enforcement and Intelligence Officials Need to Know - Softcover

Cassara, John; Jorisch, Avi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0984174737 ISBN 13: 9780984174737

Publisher: Red Cell IG, 2010

Synopsis

It is an axiom within the U.S. law enforcement and intelligence communities that "following the money" is the key to disrupting and dismantling criminal organizations. The same is true when it comes to terrorist networks. Officials in the United States and abroad now realize that fighting terrorism financing (and its corollary, money laundering) is one of the best ways to prevent future catastrophic attacks. As a new generation of public servants learns the ropes and begins to contribute to the war on terror, the proven tactic of following money trails will become more central than ever. At the same time, this task is becoming increasingly complex due to our adversaries' skill in avoiding traditional financial countermeasures. Law enforcement and intelligence officials must learn to understand the sometimes obscure methodologies that terrorist organizations use to raise, move, and store money-whether these activities stem from the Usama bin Ladens of the world, rogue regimes like Iran and North Korea, or members of Hizbollah, Hamas, or a host of other like-minded organizations.

About this title

From the Author

This book was principally written for U.S. law enforcement and intelligence community officials focused on combating terrorism and associated criminal activity.  In addition, international law enforcement, customs agencies, intelligence agencies, military and security services, anti-money laundering compliance officers at financial institutions, and concerned citizens can derive tremendous benefits from various chapters.

Law enforcement authorities at the federal, state, and local levels - increasingly joined by their international colleagues - play a vital role in identifying and combating terrorism financing.  In fact, our best chance of preventing a catastrophic terrorist attack will likely come from an individual officer spotting a suspicious activity, whether a policeman on the street or an intelligence analyst in front of a computer.  We hope that this guide will help our colleagues become more aware of the financial aspects underling the criminal activities they investigate, as well as possible links to terrorism.  The most important counter-terror finance measure for law enforcement is also the most simple: during the course of a routine investigation, officers should take the time to "ask the next question," and focus on the money and/or value trail.  In other words, we hope that this guide will help authorities become more familiar with the kinds of questions to ask.

John Cassara and Avi Jorisch

From the Back Cover

Money is the lifeblood of terrorism.  Every terrorist attack requires financial support and, therefore, leaves a money trail.  Identifying this trail links terrorists and their supporters in a documented web of complicity, giving authorities the information they need to neutralize terrorist networks.  For street cops and criminal investigators, following the money and value trails is a proven technique that could be key to preventing another catastrophic terrorist attack in the United States.  Presenting real-world tools, resources, and insights, On the Trail of Terror Finance is a long-overdue and straightforward guide designed expressly for the needs of law enforcement and intelligence officers and analysts.
 - Richard N. Holden, Ph.D., director, State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training Program, Institute for Intergovernmental Research

John Cassara and Avi Jorisch capture the essence of what law enforcement and intelligence personnel need to know in order to prevent terrorists from obtaining the money they need to operate, thereby rendering them ineffective.  A must-read for all involved in the fight against terrorism.
- Richard A. Marquise, retired FBI special agent, lead U.S. investigator on the Pan Am 103 bombing, and author of Scotbom: Evidence and the Lockerbie Investigation

About this edition

• Publisher: Red Cell IG
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0984174737
• ISBN 13: 9780984174737
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272