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Today, more than ever before, it is important for criminologists, law enforcement officers and other stakeholders to have adequate knowledge in differentiating between organized crime and terrorism, particularly in light of the fact that scholars now believe that the convergence of international terrorism and organized crime is increasingly becoming a reality (Shelley & Picarelli, 2005).
The present paper uses La Costra Nostra and Al Qaeda criminal enterprises to demonstrate the similarities and differences of organized crime and terrorism.
Among the similarities, it can be argued that organized crime and terrorism have well established hierarchical structures of authority and control (Shelley & Picarelli, 2005). La Costra Nostra, an organized criminal organization, is structured around the so-called families, each with a boss who controls the family, makes executive decisions, maintains order, and develops strategies to maximize profits on behalf of the family. Al-Qaeida, an international terrorist organization with networks across most parts of the world, is structured around a bureaucratic perspective which is governed by a hierarchy with strict rules and regulations.
Additionally, both La Costra Nostra and Al-Qaeda are similar in terms of the systematic employment of force, threats, and intimidation to perpetuate their criminal agenda (Angjeli, 2003; Mallory, 2007). In both groups, threats, intimidation and violence are used to enforce discipline and compliance among members in the lower ranks. Another similarity is that organized criminals and international terrorists operate beyond the boundaries of legality with the view to influencing global stability and prosperity (Angjeli, 2003).
Among the differences, it can be argued that the motives of organized crime are to a large extent different from those of international terrorism (Shelley & Picarelli, 2005). La Costra Nostra’s engagement in international drug trafficking, for instance, is motivated by the desire to gain financially through illegal means.
In contrast, it is evident that Al-Qaeda’s involvement in the 9/11 terrorist attacks was fueled by hate and religious extremism. However, as has been illustrated by many scholars of organized crime, the funds received from organized crime are in some instances used to sponsor international terrorism (Shelley & Picarelli, 2005).
Although both La Costra Nostra and Al-Qaeda have well established hierarchical structures of authority and control, it is important to note that the former uses a patron-client network while the latter can be largely described as a bureaucratic criminal enterprise (Mallory, 2007).
Additionally, although the mode of operation is similar in both organizations, the motives are somewhat different as La Costra Nostra employs force to protect markets, while Al-Qaeda employs force and/or religious fanaticism to cause political upheavals and disorient the social fabric by igniting fear among the populace (Angjeli, 2003; Mallory, 2007).
Lastly, it is evident that both La Costra Nostra and Al-Qaeda form an interaction with other similar groups to pursue commonly held beliefs in the case of terrorism, and profit gains in the case of organized crime (Shelley & Picarelli, 2005). So, essentially, the scope of interaction with other similar groups is grounded upon the motives behind the formation of the organizations.
For example, Al-Qaeda has been known to interact with Al-Shaabab, an active terrorist group in the horn of Africa, to cause political upheavals in countries perceived to be sympathetic to western interests. Equally, La Costra Nostra has been known to interact with other organized criminal groups in Italy and France to facilitate the trafficking of heroine and hence gain financially.
In essence, therefore, the scope of organized crime and terrorism is primarily determined by the motives behind the formation of these groups. These motives further determine the kind of interactions established with similar groups.
References
Angjeli, A. (2003). The challenge of terrorism and organized crime. Mediterranean Quarterly, 14(3), 34-40.
Mallory, S.L. (2007). Understanding organized crime. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.
Shelley, L.I., & Picarelli, J.T. (2005). Methods and motives: Explaining links between transnational organized crime and international terrorism. Trends in Organized Crime, 9(2), 52-67.
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