Currently reported as centers of Islamic fundamentalism, Afghanistan and
Pakistan are major centers of narcotics trafficking.
http://www.dawn.com/2001/07/23/ebr7.htm
This overlap suggests that links may exist between terrorist activity, on
the one hand, and narcotics smuggling, on the other. Complex money
laundering systems throughout Asia exist. These rely at least in part on
parallel banking systems traditional to those societies.
According to the article:
"Conservatively estimated, total narcotic revenues today flowing back to
offshore markets exceed $ 80 trillion. Add to it about $ 5,400 billion of
annual flight of capital (evasion of tax and currency laws), as well as some
$ 6,500 billion in illicit arms traffic, and various other categories of
contraband-related funds. The cash flow of the underground economy via the
offshore markets is of the order of $ 153.5 trillion per year. How much of
this remains in the market's deposit base, and how much finds its way back
to "laundered" investments inside various national economies, is difficult
to estimate."
Accordingly, if a terrorist / narcotics link exists, the funds available to
bin Laden and his cohorts may greatly exceed the $300 million now currently
reported.
Ironically, one of the foremost money laundering centers today is Israel.
see, eg: http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/ites/0501/ijee/fatffacts.htm
Accordingly, Islamic terrorists may have very strange bed fellows indeed.
Duncan C. Kinder
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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