Reflectii

Abstract: Among the United States’ 237 Islamic State-linked federal cases to date, the nexus between crime and terrorism has a subtle but vital impact on law enforcement’s counterterrorism efforts, and provides both challenges and opportunities. Drawing from new and old cases, this article examines the criminal history of every federal Islamic State defendant and deceased attack perpetrator and highlights the consistent prevalence of past violent crimes. It evaluates criminality that was integral to the financing or logistics of Islamic State activity in the United States, and assesses the role of gangs and prison on defendants’ and perpetrators’ pathways to terrorism. Moving beyond the Islamic State, the crime-terror nexus appears more pronounced in other parts of the ideological spectrum, particularly for racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists in the United States, underscoring its potential wider salience for practitioners and researchers.

Global inflation was generally moderating when the pandemic began, and the downward trend continued into the early months of the crisis. But surging prices since late 2020 have pushed inflation steadily higher. The average global cost of living has risen more in the 18 months since the start of 2021 than it did during the preceding five years combined.

United Nations Counter-Terrorism week in June 2021, stated that the Covid-19 pandemic increased the potential for terrorist organisations to obtain money through online sources.

Europe is struggling with energy crisis.

Reports by media including AP and ABC News said:

Europe is struggling to contain an energy crisis that could lead to rolling blackouts, shuttered factories and a deep recession.

“What we’re doing when investigating human trafficking is investigating crime,” according to the Guardian’s Annie Kelly, editor of a reporting series on modern slavery, trafficking, and labor exploitation. “You are dealing with a criminal industry, which presents risks to yourself and your local sources, or anyone you partner with.”

Остановка «Северного потока» на неопределенный срок заставляет переосмыслить всю текущую ситуацию в газовых отношениях России и ЕС. До сих пор РФ, пользуясь высокой зависимостью Европы от своих энергоресурсов, могла успешно добиваться одностороннего изменения газовых контрактов (переход на рубли) и одновременно поэтапно снижать объем поставок, взвинчивая цены на газ в ЕС. Очевидно, основной целью было оказать давление на власти ключевых государств, что должно было способствовать урегулированию текущих масштабных разногласий в сфере безопасности.

The United Nations is preparing a “Transforming Education Summit” to be held in New York 17,18,19 September 2022 during the General Assembly. This is an opportunity for those involved in peacebuilding efforts to provide information and suggestions, especially as a major theme of the Summit is “Learning and Skills for Life, Work, and Sustainable Development.” As the preparatory text for the Summit states “Transforming education means empowering learners with knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to be resilient, adaptable and prepared for the uncertain future while contributing to human and planetary well-being and sustainable development.”

In mid-May 2022, eighteen-year-old Payton Gendron approached a grocery store in a predominantly African-American neighborhood in Buffalo, NY. He opened fire with a Bushmaster XM-15 semi-automatic rifle, killing ten people. The attack was one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent American history.

Citing a leaked national strategy paper the Sunday Times reports: UK police fear a sharp rise in certain categories of crime and a risk of civil unrest this winter amid a cost of living and energy crisis.

The document compiled by police chiefs warns that “economic turmoil and financial instability” may lead to an increase in offenses such as shoplifting, burglary, vehicle theft, online fraud and blackmail. More children are likely to join drug gangs and more women may become subject to sexual exploitation.