Similarities & Differentiating Terrorism and Organized Crimes

Similarities Terrorism and Organized Crimes

(Line between Terrorism & Organised crime has blurred, all work in same work, same group & Same area. All are collaborating now)

1. A similar personality profile of members belonging to a terrorist or an organized crime group. (hat rate people Easy Radicalism)
2. Both entities seem to be recruiting their members from the marginal social groups exposed to and burdened by social or political frustrations.
• They are the persons affected by poverty, unemployment, depression and attracted by excitement, thrill and risk taking, who despise socially accepted norms.
3. They are both punishable by law.
4. State and enforcement agencies are their common enemy.
5. Another common characteristic is a detailed planning and preparation of their illegal activities.
6. Both criminal groups display a respect of strict discipline, which includes rigorous rules of behaviour and an internal system of punishment for any form of disobedience.
7. Organized crime and terrorism are also characterized by secrecy and confidentiality of their activities, use of violence for the purpose of accomplishing certain goals or interests and intimidating the surroundings.

Differentiating Terrorism and Organized Crimes

1. Organised crime syndicates and terrorist groups differ from each other based on the basis of their motivation and objective.
• Exploiting regional, national and/or religious sentiments, terrorism is driven purely by political objectives. Conversely Economic Objectives are the operational determinants of organized crime groups who conduct the pure profit driven criminal activities.
2. While terrorists can engage in much daring rise and violence acts. On the contrary an organized crime group cannot be such risks, it prefers to fulfil its objectives and mission notwithstanding occasional resort to violence
3. No organized crime group is built around adherence to religious or ideological tenants, while terrorist groups are fundamentally constructed out of religious and ideological beliefs.
4. This in turn places contradictory operational necessities on these two groups. For instance, the removal of secular or corrupt leaders is a goal of many terrorist groups. By contrast, the existence of the leaders is essential to the existence and maintenance of operations security of certain organized crime groups.
5. Terror groups are more integrated into the community by providing social services to it or advocating on behalf of a community This often results in blurring the lines between 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter' In this way while terrorist groups often compete with government for gaining popular support.
6. An organised crime group cannot exist without an external peripheral network involving bankers, politicians and police.
7. These two entities differ regarding the - “visibility” of their activities.
8. Organized crime groups do not reveal their goals publicly, never show their political aspirations openly and aspire to keep their activities fairly - invisible‖.
9. Terrorists, on the other hand, not only declare their goals openly but they do that in order to gain support from particular target groups of people so that their determination in accomplishing their goal becomes clear to everyone.
10. Terrorist group seek media attention and take responsibility of their actions as against the organised crime group who wish anonymity.