New Threat

[IACSP]

U.S. Officials Worry Terrorists Could Align With Drug Cartels (http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/NationalTerrorAlertResourceCenter/%7E3/EctmW1EPDE4/)
Posted: 09 Oct 2008 01:11 AM PDT
http://www.nationalterroralert.com/images/latin_drug_cartels.jpg
There is real danger that Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and Hezbollah could form alliances with wealthy and powerful Latin American drug lords to launch new terrorist attacks, U.S. officials said Wednesday.
Extremist group operatives have already been identified in several Latin American countries, mostly involved in fundraising and finding logistical support. But Charles Allen, chief of intelligence analysis at the Homeland Security Department, said they could use well-established smuggling routes and drug profits to bring people or even weapons of mass destruction to the U.S.
“The presence of these people in the region leaves open the possibility that they will attempt to attack the United States,” said Allen, a veteran CIA analyst. “The threats in this hemisphere are real. We cannot ignore them.”
[...]
Much as the Taliban tapped Afghanistan’s heroin for money, U.S. officials say the vast profits available from Latin American cocaine could provide al-Qaida and others with a ready source of income. The rebel group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, has long used drug money to pay for weapons, supplies and operations — and is also designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S.
“We’ve got a hybrid that has developed right before our eyes,” Braun said.
Latin America’s drug kingpins already have well-established methods of smuggling, laundering money, obtaining false documents, providing safe havens and obtaining illicit weapons, all of which would be attractive to terrorists who are facing new pressures in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Allen, of the Homeland Security Department, said there was currently a “low probability” of cooperation between terrorists and drug organizations, but the “fertile ground” of Latin America — where government corruption is common and institutions often weak — means that the possibility deserves renewed U.S. attention.
“It would be an unprecedented act. But we cannot rule it out,” he said.

[sahlabad]

The relationship may be benign but it is possible that both sides can work together to form a symbiotic relationship to exchange delivery routes to benefit the other i.e. drugs for bombs or other weapon of mass destruction with recently discovered 'submersibles' used to transport illegal drugs!

Latin America has Lebanese/Syrian comnection (the group known as turcos/hispano arabes) who in the mid to 1850s migrated to South America and formed said community. The Tri-Border Area is said to be a potential "no mans land" where good and services are exchanged and are also home to recent immigrants from the Middle East (Lebanon and Syria).
The degree and level of cooperation and symbiosis has yet to be determined but the bombing in Argentina associated with Shia (Lebanon?) elements shows a level of cooperation taking place behind the shadows.

[Aristata]

I agree there is real danger that Islamic extremist groups such as al-Qaeda and Hezbollah could form alliances with wealthy and powerful Latin American drug lords to launch new terrorist attacks, especially when you take a look at the increased amounts of violence happening along the southern border; for example the cartel's violent killing's and beheading's of Law Enforcement Officials in the region. Some believe that this increased level of violence has a direct correlation and result of U.S. cooperation with Mexican authorities, in conjunction with the recently passed Merida Initiative.

However, I believe the greatest threat of Islamic extremist groups entering the United States comes from the northwestern region of the country rather than the southern. This area per mileage has the least safeguarded and surveillance monitored land mass area in the country. This weakness has gone ignored as a priority in counter-terrorism efforts for quite some time, and has opened a huge gap in geographic security. Calculate the relaxed immigration laws in Canada, including their temporary work-visa program, this is a ticking time-bomb.

I am not minimzing the threat along the southern border, but I believe that within in the next decade there will be a significant increase of smuggling efforts along the northern border, that criminal enterprises and terrorist organizations, will find more cost-effective and convenient for their operations.

I would also like to note that islamic extremist's are fighting a jihad (holy-war), which is one their biggest motivator's. The religious MO's of the islamic extremists versus the cartel's of Latin America do not necessarily fit well with eachother. Both groups find religion to be a very eccentric part of life. To put one's God and religious belief's aside to accomplish mission goals or business is not very likely when you look at these two different groups and their traditional values.


Islamic Extremists also have the opiate's trade to rely on for illegal drug warfare in their asymmetric warfare agenda, so they really have no reason to rely on the cartel's to send illegal drug's into the United States. in fact if they started to flood the United States market with the drug, it would more than likely take-off. There have been DEA szeizures of such drugs coming into the east coast from the middle east.


However, both groups are proven to be enemies of the United States and it's allies. They clearly have an agenda that scream's terrorism and destruction. Therefore, the United States Intelligence community should pay close attention to any confirmed efforts of cooperation amongst these two groups while gathering intelligence.

[Seventhmatrix]

Dear Professional(s), The allegiance of red team-operating foes ... have one common interest, to weaken and destroy our American society whether through poisoning of narco-terrorism, Islamic Jihad terrorism and or the two combined would be a lethal injection! For example, the venomous Columbia and now Mexican drug cartels have been running nocturnal fast-track drug runs with their "sandrails" since I operated as a US Marine working with US Border Patrol. Once upon a time we conducted .. ."Operation Rabbit Hunt" from 1986-89 along the Sonora Desert frontier. Thus we pursued drug smugglers across the "Moon Scape" and if the Ismalic Jihadist Terrorist discover these undisclosed "Rat Lines" ..."Houston ...We have a [bigger] problem!" All these bad guys have to do is share their dark operating secrets! Simply, it starts at the top and at our top is an anti-American and leader-less Obama!! Honorably, Bill Seddon PS There is an old adage in the Corps: "There is NO substitute for aggressive leadership!" We... as Professional Warriors need to stay close!!