%0 Thesis %1 Kiser2004 %A Kiser, Stephen D. %D 2004 %K terrorism financing imported CSS739 %T Financing terror: An analysis and simulation for affecting Al Qaeda's financial infrastructure %X Since September 11th 2001, the United States and the international community have initiated over 50 different policies designed to deny or disrupt suspected terrorist organizations the financial means they use to operate. With little concrete information on the nature of terrorist financial infrastructures, policy analysts have conducted little systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of these policies. This dissertation seeks to begin such an evaluation by examining modern terrorist financing and counter-finance policies through an in-depth narrative as well as computer simulation. The background of terrorist financing is developed through three case studies, examining the methods and functions of financial systems by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), and the Tamil Tigers of Elam (LTTE). With that background, an in-depth case study of al Qaeda and its affiliates' financial infrastructures is conducted, noting key similarities, differences and developments between its fiscal operations and those of other terrorist groups. That case study is used to inform a computer simulation regarding al Qaeda's ability to collect and use money for terrorist operations. The simulation finds that completely stopping the flow of money to terrorist organizations is impossible. Furthermore, it finds that in the short term, the most effective policy at decreasing terrorist funding is to attack a terrorist group's capacity to collect funds—arresting financiers, shutting down front or shell businesses and closing false charities are examples. In the long term, undermining the appeal of al Qaeda's ideology is key to reducing terror money supply. Passing better laws, better enforcement of those laws and increasing law enforcement presence are moderately effective policies, while increasing the length or severity of punishment for financing terror was found to be the least effective. The dissertation concludes with a list of policy recommendations, including better integrating counter-finance policies within the broader counter-terrorism strategy, defining clear short- and long-term goals regarding terror money, finding and exploiting secondary and tertiary effects of targeting terrorists' finances, and viewing terrorist finances as a source of intelligence as well as a target to be attacked.

@phdthesis{Kiser2004, abstract = {Since September 11th 2001, the United States and the international community have initiated over 50 different policies designed to deny or disrupt suspected terrorist organizations the financial means they use to operate. With little concrete information on the nature of terrorist financial infrastructures, policy analysts have conducted little systematic evaluation of the effectiveness of these policies. This dissertation seeks to begin such an evaluation by examining modern terrorist financing and counter-finance policies through an in-depth narrative as well as computer simulation. The background of terrorist financing is developed through three case studies, examining the methods and functions of financial systems by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA), and the Tamil Tigers of Elam (LTTE). With that background, an in-depth case study of al Qaeda and its affiliates' financial infrastructures is conducted, noting key similarities, differences and developments between its fiscal operations and those of other terrorist groups. That case study is used to inform a computer simulation regarding al Qaeda's ability to collect and use money for terrorist operations. The simulation finds that completely stopping the flow of money to terrorist organizations is impossible. Furthermore, it finds that in the short term, the most effective policy at decreasing terrorist funding is to attack a terrorist group's capacity to collect funds—arresting financiers, shutting down front or shell businesses and closing false charities are examples. In the long term, undermining the appeal of al Qaeda's ideology is key to reducing terror money supply. Passing better laws, better enforcement of those laws and increasing law enforcement presence are moderately effective policies, while increasing the length or severity of punishment for financing terror was found to be the least effective. The dissertation concludes with a list of policy recommendations, including better integrating counter-finance policies within the broader counter-terrorism strategy, defining clear short- and long-term goals regarding terror money, finding and exploiting secondary and tertiary effects of targeting terrorists' finances, and viewing terrorist finances as a source of intelligence as well as a target to be attacked.}, added-at = {2006-04-05T06:57:03.000+0200}, author = {Kiser, Stephen D.}, biburl = {https://www.bibsonomy.org/bibtex/26d893f4513053d84ac58fa0007adf196/spwilcox}, interhash = {bee5e4fb2ada30f646d01f7f9fe07a8d}, intrahash = {6d893f4513053d84ac58fa0007adf196}, keywords = {terrorism financing imported CSS739}, school = {The Rand Graduate School}, timestamp = {2006-04-05T06:57:03.000+0200}, title = {Financing terror: An analysis and simulation for affecting Al Qaeda's financial infrastructure}, year = 2004 }