Business of War: How Criminal Organizations Perpetuate Conflict and What To Do about It (Colloquium, Volume 2, Number 1, March 2009)

摘要

It is now a mantra that building local institutions is essential to winning the counterinsurgency (COIN) fight. The host nation must exercise sovereignty and provide necessary security and services to its citizens. However, institution building requires more than a focus on governance and capacity development programs. The criminal structures that commonly arise during war economies inhibit the proper growth of state institutions, limiting the state's ability to defeat insurgencies. The military should provide support for law enforcement activities that attack such organizations and tip the balance in favor of honest officials and more productive institutional development. This article first explores the nature and type of criminal activities found in transitional states, then discusses options for addressing such activities in the midst of conflict and stability operations, and closes by addressing the legal and policy considerations shaping the Defense Department's current position on the issue. Attacking criminal organizations is an essential element of the COIN fight; the prevailing policy restricting military support for law enforcement operations should be reconsidered.