Quote:
Originally Posted by ABW
Thanks for this. This is really interesting stuff to dig through. One of the things that keeps standing out reading through this is the idea of the "convergence" of actors and threats (and also the convergence of resources to combat them).
"Of the sixty-eight groups designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the State Department, the DEA has linked twenty-five of them to the drug trade"
Colombian cartels > Hezbollah > IRGC > Syria/Assad > Iran > etc...
From the very limited perspective of the seat I sit in, I'm interpreting that as having something to do with what you're saying about why the non conventional background of "18s" could be of particular advantage here.
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Don't even get me started on how the drug trade into Europe from South America via Africa fuels terrorism. The nexus between terrorism and criminal activity is well known. Hell, a group formerly run by MBM (took a bunch of French and other hostages in Algeria years ago) was actually called the "Cocaine Jihadists."
I could rant- but will not do so in this venue. Also- your statement about State and DEA indicates a level of information potentially not available to end users or higher customers in the form of fused analysis.
It would be worth your time to reach out and forge those connections.