Good morning, everyone. Welcome to this weekend’s Non-State Update. Below is a list of some of the best articles, podcasts, and other media from this week. Like always, the topics addressed are the usual Drugs and Thugs issues: terrorism, insurgency, transnational criminal organizations, and narcotics trafficking. Let’s get started.
First off from Caleb Weiss at The Long War Journal, a fascinating article on a recently released ISIS video showing their use of drones for reconnaissance. While this isn’t the first time the group has used drones, the sophistication of their operation demonstrates how ISIS is becoming increasingly high-tech.
Josh Keating at Slate’s The World blog has a short post on the recent Department of Justice release on a homegrown would-be jihadist’s plot. While he likely trained with Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria, it appears that the schism between ISIS and al-Qaida matters less for Western recruits.
Money Jihad relays a piece from the Investigative Project on Terrorism about the potential windfall that Hezbollah will receive now that the framework for an Iran deal is in place. While Iran does provide much of Hezbollah’s funds, I’m skeptical that the easing of sanctions on Iran will result in increased financial flows to to the Lebanese group. Hezbollah has become more financially self-sufficient in recent years, and additionally, Iran has more pressing proxy groups to fund. This fear seems overblown.
At Foreign Policy, Elias Groll and David Francis have a piece analyzing the recent action to remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism after decades. While this is one more step in the growing rapprochement, there are still significant barriers to better relations between the US and Cuba. The move will be critiqued by Senators Rubio and Menendez, but there is little evidence that Cuba continues to support terrorist groups. In fact, they’ve been an integral host in talks between the FARC and Colombia.
Next, an excellent piece by Eric Lorber and Jacquelyn Schneider at War on the Rocks on the recently announced sanctions program focused on countering cyber-attacks. They outline the rationale behind the new sanctions and how sanctions can be used to deter action. Although sanctions are often politically motivated, the ultimate goal is to change behavior, which is much easier to do prior to an action being taken.
From John Campbell at Foreign Policy, an optimistic article on Buhari’s chances in Nigeria. While he has a multitude of challenges to overcome, Campbell believes that his military history, commitment to rooting out corruption, and his ethnic and religious background, might be able to make a difference in the fight against Boko Haram.
Nathaniel Janowitz and Benjamin Fernandez report on the recent comments by the CEO of a Canandian mining company with operations in Mexico. The CEO stated that his company has a “good relationship” with the cartels in Mexico, although he later walked back this statement. It is unsurprising that the mining company would have some sort of deal with the cartel in order to prevent theft and kidnappings. It is nearly impossible to guarantee the security of mine workers in these conditions.
Finally, an admittedly humorous article at first glance from OCCRP, as counterfeit Viagra is not generally seen as terribly threatening. When it is made out of acid, brick dust, and road paint, though, is different entirely. It is surprising that this group was able to operate for seven years without detection.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the weekend.
For comments, thoughts, concerns, criticism, or article submissions to D&TB, please comment below, email me at conormlarkin@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter @ConorMLarkin.
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