Criminal Justice 506 International Crime, Essay Example

First, we must understand the definition and purpose of sovereignty which is to have supreme and independent authority over a geographic territory. Various law enforcement agencies must have the money available to help combat the international organized crime at a local and national level. “States should embark upon more rigorous cooperation from other states to combat the threat of international organized crime.” (Shanty, 2008). There must be severe interstate cooperation to a more tangible level than simply at the local level. We currently have an alliance with not only the United States and Russia but all the nations hence we must seize the moment says, James Jones President of Obama’s national security advisor center in Washington, D.C. There are more than 40 countries who presently participate in the combat of terrorism against international terrorism including national security councils, presidential security advisors and security ministers.

There are strong threats to the state and state sovereignty. We must be able to relinquish old habits of “fashioned notions of sovereignty and independence that prove as weaknesses to the establishment of strong policing and jurisdictional links between the states.” (Shanty, 2008). The United Nations stated there must be a very determined and strong link between international cooperation to combat organized crime which will prove to be “non-restrictive” of an interpretation of sovereignty and jurisdiction. The reason for this is to constitute a serious obstacle to co-operation between the local, state and national governments. Organized crime can operate in dozens of countries while based in one single country. No single police department alone can face the threat of terrorism alone. We must reach across our borders to form worldwide partnerships to combat international terrorism.

By declaring the war on drugs in Columbia a national security matter, special precautions for the sovereignty of the country have been taken in order to protect the supremacy and independency of the government’s control. There has been a strong and determined “agenda of all the other states and organizations that have incentives for economic and political reasons to cooperate with the United States policies.” (Bibes, 2000). There is a technical and criminal side to the war on drugs which has to be addressed. The relationship with the Columbian government usually turns violent because of the confrontation at the national level with regards to the use of terroristic tactics. “Through the use of narco-traffickers and insurgent alliances the FARC and Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (ELN) seek power and social legitimacy.” (Bibes, 2000). The United States has become involved in the war against international organized crime by increasing military aid to Columbia which received a total of nearly $300 million in year 1999 (Farah, 1999). Through the efforts of the United States and other ally countries the war against terrorism and drugs in Columbia has been halted somewhat but that is due to the diligent work of the local, national and international government and police forces working diligently together with organized plans to combat the criminal activities. No one police force can combat international terrorism alone because it is too large to tackle. “The nature and relative strength of a state as well as the decisions or omissions of the incumbent ruling class can and do play an important role in the emergence and rise of organized crime.” (Matts & Serrano, 2002).

References

Shanty, F. Organized Crime: From Trafficking to Terrorism: Volume two NY: New York ABC-CLIO Publishing, 2008.

Bibes, P. (2000) Transnational Organized Crime and Terrorism: Colombia A Case Study Retrieved October 19, 2010 from, http://www.sagepub.com/Martin2Study/pdfs/Chapter%209/Bibes%20article.pdf

Farah, D. (1999). Pact Near on Aid to Colombia. The Washington Post, pp. 2-4.

Berdal, M & Serrano, M. Transnational Organized Crime and International Security: Business as Usual NY: New York Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2002.