ABSTRACT
Terrorist organizations need money and resources not only to carry out an operation but, perhaps most importantly, to recruit, maintain safe havens, train, travel, take care of day-to-day expenses, and, in some groups, provide for the families of dead martyrs. The assets required to fund such extensive, global operations synonymous with modern terrorist groups come from a variety of licit and illicit sources, such as individuals, organizations, and the criminal enterprise. One widely used estimate is that economic activity-related terrorist group activity accounts for a staggering $1.5 trillion, or 5% of annual global output.2 Furthermore, the cost of doing business may be rising for terrorists, especially al-Qaeda. Similar to a business expanding into franchises, splinter groups need resources to sustain themselves, driving the cost of doing business higher. Also, as terrorist plots increase in complexity or delve into the WMD realm, the cost of equipment, expertise, and keeping operations off law enforcement’s radar will rise. These emergent needs will likely lead groups to previously untapped sources for money, manpower, and other support.
