Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed -- And How to Stop It

by Rachel Ehrenfeld

Book Overview

This is the book that led to strengthening Americans' free speech rights. In this updated edition of Funding Evil, Dr. Ehrenfeld describes what it took to successfully stop "Libel Tourism," from the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1566252318
• ISBN13: 9781566252317
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Taylor Trade Publishing
• Length: 296 Pages
• Weight: 0.48 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.8" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

An important book to aid in the war against Terror

In the global war against terror now being undertaken by the Bush Administration one important component is cutting off funds to the terrorists. In this informative volume Rachel Ehrenfeld one of the world's foremost experts in tracing illegal money exposes networks of Terror, including surprisingly those that have their base in the United States. She makes recommendations about how these networks can be closed down,and enjoins greater vigilance upon the part of US Govt. agencies in this struggle. This book exposes too the connections between various terror groups throughout the world. It is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand an important component in the Western world's defense of itself against chaos and destruction.

Where do terrorists get their money?

As the author explains, an individual act of terror does not have to be very expensive. That's easy to believe. After all, many people could wreak havoc just with items they already possess, such as cars and rifles. And, as Ehrenfeld says, even a very sophisticated and deadly attack such as that of September 11, 2001, has been estimated to have cost only 500,000 dollars. But we're not dealing with a few isolated attacks. We're dealing with a terror network that needs plenty of money for recruitment, training camps, housing, equipment, bribes, weapons, and various day-to-day expenses. And the author says that the total cost of maintaining the entire Islamist terror network is in the billions of dollars. Where does this money come from? And what can be done to stop it? We learn that the money comes from governments, such as those of Saudi Arabia and Iran, from charitable organizations, from legitimate businesses operating as fronts, from investments ... and from criminal activities. Ehrenfeld identifies some of the organizations and banks that terrorists have used, and she pays particular attention to terrorrist use of drug money. The author explains the PLO, an infamous terrorist group, had received 5.5 billion dollars in outright aid from the international community, including over 2.5 billion dollars from Europe. I was shocked that the European community couldn't find something much more productive to do with two and a half billion dollars than fund terror. Ehrenfeld recommends adoption of an international integrity standard. Corrupt nations could be given economic penalties. Audits could show where money is actually going. And if we are honest about who our enemies are, we could cut off funds to them. She reminds us that if we do nothing, on the grounds that the problems are too small to be worth fighting, one day these problems may be too large to fight. If we fight against evil, we may save not only ourselves, but large numbers of people who are at present oppressed by their own corrupt governments. This book is certainly worth reading.

Draws a map between sources of funding and terrorist results

Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld is a world authority on narco-terrorism, providing commentary on the topic and consulting on the problems of international terrorism, political corruption and drug trafficking; so she's the perfect choice to author Funding Evil: How Terrorism Is Financed-And How To Stop It. Many experts may claim terrorism doesn't require money and while individual acts can be low-budget, global terrorist efforts require money to work. Dr. Ehrenfeld here draws a map between sources of funding and terrorist results.

Following the Money Trail

If fanaticism is the heart of modern terrorism, then finance is its lifeblood - British Chancellor Gordon Brown November 24, 2002Even the most devastating terrorist attack carries a surprisingly low price ticket. The organizers of the September 11 attacks are reported to have received change from their $500,000 stake money. Killing tens and injuring hundreds - whether in a Bali nightclub, a Jerusalem bus or a car bomb in India - sometimes costs less than a good meal. Nevertheless, the infrastructures of international terrorist networks cost billions of dollars. Funding Evil, the latest book by Dr Rachel Ehrenfeld, director of the American Center of Democracy, details the organizations and their methods. Ehrenfeld shows the links and similarities between terrorists as diverse as The Hizballah, the many Palestinian terrorist groups, Tamil Tigers, Colombian narco-terrorists and radical Islamic terrorism around the world.As US Attorney General John Ashcroft has said "Terrorists cannot terrorize without money...Those who knowingly finance terrorist organizations are just as dangerous and just as responsible as those who carry out the ultimate acts of terrorist violence." Funding Evil details how this funding of terror has taken place, exposing the state sponsorship, corruption, drug trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities that have allowed these organizations and their leaders to amass fortunes and feed the spreading tentacles of terror. Ehrenfeld's timely book doesn't stop there, but recommends practical steps that can be taken to curb it.Dr Ehrenfeld is a world expert in the topic, having lectured around the world, written copiously and been invited to make submissions and statements to world policy making bodies concerned with terrorism and its funding. It is clear that world leaders are slowly taking note of Ehrenfeld's advice, with the latest actions taken against the Hamas organization being one small step along the path.Just this month, action has been taken against the Palestinian Relief and Development fund (known as Interpal), amid charges by the US Treasury that the London based charity - which raises between 3 to 5 million dollars a year - has been used to hide the flow of money to Hamas. The funds of the charity have been frozen, and will only be released under the tight scrutiny of the UK Charities Commission. Interpal's chairman, Ibrahim Hewitt is quoted as saying "We've been told this is for our own protection, so that any money going through can't be hijacked along the way." Hopefully these actions will ensure that funds collected for charitable purposes will end up helping their intended recipients - the Palestinian people who are in the most critical need ever, having been ignored by the Arab world, and having international aid and their livelihoods diverted into a war to the death with Israel that they have been unable to win. While up until recently, Europe carefully differentiated between the `polit