The most destructive force in the Americas today is not El NiÑo-it is the criminal enterprises that recognize no geographic, legal or moral boundaries. This book exposes the main characteristics and effects of criminal enterprises in the Americas and considers realistic strategies for combating them. Looking at how crime penetrates private business, government, and the everyday lives of the people, this collection examines the impact of criminal enterprises on the legitimate economy and the ability of states to promote the rule of law. It compares criminal enterprises in the Americas with other regions, and considers the foreign policy concerns of the US. With a recent upsurge in the scope, sophistication and cooperation among groups, this book is essential tool for understanding one of the greatest challenges to security, peace and democracy in the Americas.
Biography
Tom J. Farer is the Dean of the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver and is the former President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States and of the University of New Mexico. Within the United States Government, he has served as special assistant to the General Counsel of the Department of Defense and to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.
"Farer has assembled a dazzling array of tough-minded experts. The result is a sober but terrifying account of the challenge to the community of nations from those whose chosen profession is crime on a global scale. Must reading for anyone who wants to get an intellectual grip on contemporary international criminal activity and what it means for our post-Cold War foreign policy." -- William D. Rogers, Senior Partner, Arnold & Porter
"This provocative and insightful volume contributes to the necessary debate over the policies and strategies for cooperation among states, and on the effective ways to combat such illegal activities. It constitutes a must-read reference for anyone interested in understanding, assessing and studying the subject." -- Cesar Gaviria, Secretary General, Organization of American States
"This is an important book that goes beyond the traditional drug trafficking focus and highlights the vulnerabilities of states to penetration by criminal organizations, the dynamics of illegal markets, and some of the strategies that can be used in combating phenomena that have become as pervasive as they are intractible. For both area specialists and students of transnational organized crime this excellent collection is essential reading." -- Phil Williams, Professor and Director, Matthew B. Ridgway Center for International Security Studies
