Pros from 51 countries examine transnational organized crime

Photo By Christine June | Professor Steve Monaco, course director of the Marshall Center’s resident program Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking, gives an overview of transnational organized crime on the first day of the Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking resident program April 9 at the Marshall Center in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (DOD photo by Christine June/RELEASED)  

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, BY, GERMANY

04.09.2015

Story by Christine June 

George C. Marshall Center for Security Studies

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany – During his welcoming remarks, U.S. Army Lt. Gen. (retired) Keith Dayton, director of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies, listed headlines from the past 24 hours to show 71 participants the relevance of their studies on the first day of the Countering Narcotics and Illicit Trafficking course April 9 at the Marshall Center here.

These headlines were: "Brazil Probes Alleged Corruption Among Tax Officials;" "Drug Gang Kills 15 Officers in Mexico;" "Police Kill 20 Loggers Suspected of Smuggling in shootout;" "Russian’s Hack White House, Steal Obama Data;" "Kenya Struggles Over Best Response to University Attack;" "International Criminal Court Says ISIS Out of Its Jurisdiction;" "Al Qaeda Capitalizing on Yemen’s Disorder;" "Italian Police Detail Fraud in Public Contracts;" and, "Homicides in El Salvador reach record as gang violence grows."

“In a very real sense you are pioneers in a field of security study that we have just begun as a security course,” Dayton continued in his remarks. “The program you are about to begin represents years of work by members of the staff and faculty here and policy makers in Washington as the Marshall Center increasingly tackles issues of a transnational nature from a global perspective.”

Marshall Center’s CNIT is a two-and-a-half week resident program that focuses on 21st century national security threats as a result of illicit trafficking and other criminal activities. It ends April 24.

Day one also included welcoming remarks by Dr. Robert Brannon, dean of the College of International and Security Studies at the Marshall Center.

“We have worked very hard to develop this program and to bring it to you today. We think it’s a solid piece of academic work, and I know you will find it challenging,” Brannon said. “The course not only requires you to read and think, but it also requires you to work with each other. I must emphasize to you now, we think that’s the very best part of what lies ahead for you in this course.”

Brannon is referring to the more than 10,000 Marshall Center alumni who form a worldwide network of professionals, practitioners of public policy and keepers of the public trust.

Professor Steve Monaco, CNIT course director, then gave the participants an overview of transnational organized crime.

“There is a growing recognition that transnational organized crime is growing in size and influence in a world increasingly marked with globalization and diminishing importance of borders,” said Monaco said. “Transnational organized crime surges into gaps of opportunities and is, frankly, threatening governments.”

During his presentation, Monaco discussed definition of transnational organized crime, primary activities associated with transnational organized crime, typology of transnational criminal organizations, transnational organized crime as a national and international security threat, main instruments against transnational organized crime, overview of convergence, and best practices and institutional responses.

Course design includes guest lecturers from national and international law enforcement and security organizations, course seminar activities discussing the range of government countermeasures to combat criminal activity, and strategy development exercises that focus on best practices and international approaches to combating these growing threats against national security.

This year’s CNIT participants hail from 51 countries: Afghanistan; Albania; Algeria; Argentina; Armenia; Australia; Azerbaijan; Bahamas; Belize; Bosnia and Herzegovina; Bulgaria; Colombia; Czech Republic; Dominican Republic; Egypt; El Salvador; Fiji Islands; Georgia; Greece; Guatemala; Hungary; India; Indonesia; Japan; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Kenya; Kosovo; Malaysia; Maldives; Mauritania; Mexico; Moldova; Mongolia; Montenegro; Morocco; New Zealand; Nigeria; Oman; Peru; Philippines; Romania; Serbia; Slovenia; South Africa: Tanzania; Thailand; Turkey; Ukraine, United States; and, Uzbekistan.

This CNIT course has a good mixture of participants who work at defense, interior and justice ministries, and law enforcement and other government agencies.

The course is designed for government officials and practitioners who are engaged in policy development, law enforcement, intelligence, and interdiction activities aimed at countering illicit narcotics trafficking, terrorist involvement in criminal activity, and the associated elements of transnational crime and corruption. It examines the major methods by which transnational criminal and terrorist organizations engage in illegal narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities for profit.

The mission of the Marshall Center, as a vital instrument of German-American cooperation, is to create a more stable security environment by advancing democratic institutions and relationships; promoting active, peaceful, whole-of-government approaches to address transnational and regional security challenges; and creating and enhancing enduring partnerships worldwide.

The Marshall Center offers eight resident programs that examine complex transnational, regional and international security issues: Program on Terrorism and Security Studies; Program on Applied Security Studies; Program on Security Sector Capacity Building; Seminar on Regional Security; Seminar on Transnational Civil Security; CNIT; Program on Cyber Security Studies; and, Senior Executive Seminar.

More information on these and other Marshall Center activities is available at www.marshallcenter.org.

For those who are interested in attending a Marshall Center resident program, call the registrar’s office at [phone]/2530/2327 or 314-4402-656/530/327, or email [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 04.09.2015
• Date Posted: 04.09.2015 12:51
• Story ID: 159520
• Location: GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, BY, DE