RT Article
T1 Hezbollah’s global tentacles: a relational approach to convergence with transnational organized crime
JF Terrorism and political violence
VO 29
IS 5
SP 902
OP 921
A1 Leuprecht, Christian 1973-
A2 Walther, Olivier J.
A2 Skillicorn, David B.
A2 Ryde-Collins, Hillary
LA English
YR 2017
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1870768183
AB That terrorists, criminals, and their facilitators exploit the global marketplace is well known. While the global movement of illicit goods is well documented, robust empirical evidence linking terrorism and organized crime remains elusive. This article posits Network Science as a means of making these links more apparent. As a critical case study, Hezbollah is quite possibly the most mature globalized terrorist organization, although it thinks of itself as the “Party of God.” However, the means seem to justify the ends: this article shows that Hezbollah’s holy men have no qualms about resorting to pornography, contraband cigarettes, immigration fraud, and credit card fraud to raise funds. Beyond establishing links, Social Network Analysis reveals other important characteristics, such as the relative autonomy from Hezbollah headquarters that local fundraising networks enjoy. That finding implies a paradigm shift: Hezbollah is no less a terrorist organization than an organized crime syndicate. This is apparent in a network’s structure. Transnational Organized Crime is typically about nodes being connected to many others in the network. Yet, Hezbollah fundraising networks allow such connectivity because of the group’s typically high levels of mutual trust and familial relationships. This creates a vulnerability that can be exploited by law enforcement and intelligence organizations.
NO Gesehen am 21.11.2023
NO Published online: 23 Nov 2015
K1 Hezbollah
K1 Organized crime
K1 Social Network Analysis
K1 terrorist financing
DO 10.1080/09546553.2015.1089863