TERRORISM AND TRANSNATIONAL CRIME
IN AN AGE OF GLOBALIZATION

A Political-Economic Conflict Seminar

December 9-11, 2008
January 27-29, 2009

Capitol Hill Club
Washington, DC

For centuries, terrorism has been a tactic used by radical political movements. Modern terror networks, combining Islamic fanaticism with sophisticated financing and communications, are a global threat. Given the sponsorship of terrorism by rogue states and the risk posed by the inaction of some governments, that threat has become increasingly dangerous.

Defeating terrorism and rooting out the criminal activities it often depends on will require unprecedented international cooperation. But, as recent history shows, getting nations to agree on policies and methods for combating terrorist groups has not been easy. From recruitment and illicit funding to the spread and interdiction of terrorist activity, this Political Economic Conflict Seminar will examine the global phenomenon of terrorism, the historic contexts in which it develops, and the latest policy and strategic initiatives designed to contain and defeat it.

Bringing together over a dozen experts from government, the military, intelligence services and the media, the Terrorism and Transnational Crime Seminar will provide an in-depth examination of the origins and operations of terrorist organizations.

SEMINAR TOPICS

• Knowing the Enemy: The Origins of Terrorism
• Russia and the Roots of Modern Terror
• State Sponsorship of International Terror Groups
• Weapons of Mass Destruction and Rogue States
• Terrorism and the 2008 Elections
• Domestic Terrorism and Its Links to Terror Networks Overseas
• Iran and the Spread of Terrorism in the Middle East
• Turkey and Terrorism: Trouble on Europe's Doorstep
• Insights into Islamist Terror: Hamas and Hezbollah
• Latin America: The Neglected Terrorist Movements
• Pakistan: Ally or Obstacle in the War on Terror?
• The United States and Europe: Cooperation and Conflict in an Age of Terrorism
• Syria and Terrorism by Proxy
• Successes and Failures of Counter-Terrorism
• Inside Al Qaeda: Its History, Structure, and Reach
• North Korea's Rogue-State Playbook
• Transnational Crime: American Institutions at Risk
• Fighting Terror and Preserving Liberty
• Follow the Money: Financing Global Terror Operations
• Border Security and Insecurity
• How Safe Are We? Post 9/11 Security Policy
• The Public, the Media and Combating Terror

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

After participating in the Terrorism and Transnational Crime Seminar, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the historical origins and contemporary sources of terrorism and transnational crime, as well as the similarity, diversity, and inter-linkages of criminal conspiracies and terrorist networks;

2. Identify the personalities, organization, and networking of the global world of terror and crime;

3. Analyze the sources, methods, and operations employed to track, contain, disrupt, and destroy terrorist and criminal activities;

4. Evaluate possible and probable allies, adversaries, and neutrals in the struggle with terror and crime;

5. Appreciate the political, legal, social, and economic forces in the United States that will shape, constrain, or empower the intelligence, financial, diplomatic, and military activities of the various federal, state, and local authorities;

6. Improve skills in developing analytical models and designing policy and operational initiatives in the area of global terror and crime; and

Link the activities of agencies both within the United States and in other count

MODERATOR

BILL THOMAS is a contributing writer for The Washington Post Magazine and has covered the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon for over twenty years. He has been a reporter for The Baltimore Sun, editor of Roll Call (a newspaper that covers Congress), and editor of Capital Style magazine, published in Washington DC by The Economist. He is the author of several books, including Lawyers and Thieves and Red Tape: Adventure Capitalism in the New Russia. His articles have appeared in National Geographic, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair and many other publications.

Mr. Thomas wrote about the break-up of the Soviet Union for The Los Angeles Times Magazine, reporting on civil wars in the former Soviet Republics of Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Recent writing assignments have taken him to Russia, Finland, Iran and Egypt. He is currently writing a series of international travel articles for The Washington Post Magazine. Mr. Thomas covered the Communist coup attempt in 1991 and Boris Yeltsin’s 1996 presidential campaign. He has recently returned from writing about the Caucasus region of the former Soviet Union.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The seminar will be held at the Capitol Hill Club, 300 First Street, SE, Washington, DC. Continental breakfast and registration will start at 7:30 a.m. The seminar will begin at 8:00 a.m. and conclude at approximately 4:00 p.m. each day. A luncheon workshop with speaker is included each day. An on-site coordinator will be provided to attend to workshop logistics.

No video, power point or audio-visual aids are utilized in the presentations. These programs are informal and strictly "off-the-record."