Terrorism and Organized Crime: One or Two Challenges?

It has become common wisdom that terrorist groups and organized crime organizations are increasingly joining forces to challenge states and threaten human security worldwide. Policy makers and scholars alike claim that new and unconventional methods are needed to counter the existential risks that arise from the cooperation, convergence and merging of terrorism and organized crime. Thus, as the distinctions between terrorists and criminals fade so too must the distinctions between traditional measures fighting them. Since organized crime and terrorism have become one, a single comprehensive concept is required to counter it.