War on terror : fantasy and fiction behind the mythology of terrorist financing

Abdel Salam, El Fatih Abdullahi (2009) War on terror : fantasy and fiction behind the mythology of terrorist financing. Intellectual Discourse, 17 (1). pp. 1-23. ISSN 0128-4878

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Abstract

Documentary evidence shows that the series of financial crackdowns initiated since 9/11 have had virtually no impact on terrorism. This is because these efforts are based on a fundamental misconception on how terrorism works. The financial warriors’ predisposition to stereotypes about “Arabs and their money” allowed unsubstantiated rumours–such as Bin Laden’s personal fortune of $300 million–to become established as facts. This study exposes the extent to which Washington policymakers simply transposed the template for the war on drugs on to the war on terror, despite the fact that terrorism is not a profit– driven enterprise. The collateral damage inflicted on organisations like Al-Barakaat, the Somali remittance network, wrongly accused of channeling money to the terrorists, and others are counter-productive as they dent the image of the US in the Muslim world.

Item Type:	Article (Journal)
Additional Information:	2008/12695
Uncontrolled Keywords:	terrorism, financial front, Al-Qaeda, Al-Barakaat, law enforcement agencies
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences > Department of Political Science
Depositing User:	professor elfatih abdelsalam
Date Deposited:	23 Dec 2011 08:42
Last Modified:	16 Jan 2012 12:18
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/12695

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