Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Looted Antiquities: Economic Opportunity For Terrorists, Vanessa Hanson

Scholarly and Creative Works Conference (2015 - 2021)

In the post 9/11 world countering terrorism has become a top United States foreign policy priority as well as the subject of much scholarly research. To counter terrorism it is important to understand the inner-workings of such groups. How do terrorist groups fund their operations in order to be able to carry them out continuously? It is often assumed that the arms and drug trade on the black market are the main source of income for terrorists groups (Kaplan). Unbeknownst to many, there is an illegal trade in art and historical artifacts that funds terrorist activities. How do terrorists use …