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CONNECTIONS, CONUNDRUMS, AND CRIMINALITY: UNDERSTANDING LOCAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT AND ATTITUDES TOWARD ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA By Christopher A. Corpora Submitted to the Faculty of the School of International Service of American University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy In International Relations Chair: , ^ Louise L Shelley Z * Julie Mertus # A Z 7, I Maryann Cusimafio Love Ivy (J -6 1 3 4?YL—- * Dean o f the College or School Date v 2005 American University Washington, D.C. 20016 88 ^ AMERICAN UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 3164886 Copyright 2005 by Corpora, Christopher A. All rights reserved. INFORMATION TO USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleed-through, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. ® UMI UMI Microform 3164886 Copyright 2005 by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest Information and Learning Company 300 North Zeeb Road P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. © COPYRIGHT by Christopher A. Corpora 2005 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my three beautiful, bright daughters—Shea, Stella, and Sydney—focus on life, love, and layered meanings. You will never go wrong. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONNECTIONS, CONUNDRUMS, AND CRIMINALITY: UNDERSTANDING LOCAL PERCEPTIONS ABOUT AND ATTITUDES TOWARD ORGANIZED CRIME AND CORRUPTION IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA BY CHRISTOPHER A. CORPORA ABSTRACT Transnational organizedcrime and enabling corruption emerged after the fall of the Soviet Union as an important empirical fact, forcing many social scientists to address the issue in discussing transition politics and economies. A new literature and series of practices developed in the course of these discussions, attempting to properly account for the growth, endurance, and impact of organized crime and corruption in a quickly changing world. The dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, and in particular of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) provided a unique forum for measuring these tools, as organized crime and corruption emerged as key distracters in the development of a stable democracy and market economy in the region. However, international organizations dominate discussions and suggestions regarding organized crime and corruption in BiH, making it difficult to fully assess the problems in context. Additionally, the problems associated with these activities are not contained and, in some estimations, have increased since the international community began explicitly addressing the issues. Few locally produced studies or serious discussions about these problems are recognized or acknowledged in the current debate. This research aims to fill a gap in knowledge by bringing in the voice of local experts and measuringthe differences between them and Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. international perspectives and attitudes. The goal is to suggest more contextually relevant ways for addressing these issues by bridging these gaps and suggesting ways to produce a mutually agreeable approach for analyzing and dealing with organized crime and corruption — and possibly other issues that suffer fromthe same discord, inhibiting the state building project — in BiH, and beyond. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Taking on a large and arduous task is never a one person job. It requires the support, assistance, and motivation of countless others. I have always been curious to understand the networks of people that go into the production of something ascribed to an individual. The sense that credit is lonely and attached only to the name on a page belies the truth and dimension of the indirect and direct influences any individual receives— shaping the way they see and describe the world around them. What was Monet’s inspiration? Who nudged him along when he felt his work was lacking? How did the Curie’s get their minds around key questions and tasks? How many countless cups of coffee on the streets of Europe, Asia, or America did it take before someone had that next idea and then what was it that made them follow through? Small and great human thoughts all find their genesis in and through interaction. The place of discovery is in the combining forces of intellect, discourse, and practical application. My project lacked in all of these places at very different times, and probably would not have continued beyond a thought or two if it were not for many people who inspired me to think, talk, and act. My interest in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) started with a deployment to support NATO forces in 1995 and 1996, so I must first thank the US Army Reserve and the Department of Defense for providing me with a great opportunity to see and interact with people I never dreamed of meeting. More specifically, I should thank Gerald G. Neill, David Kuhms, and Bob Smyth for great conversations and venting during this time. They were patient in listening to ravings and half-thoughts that set the stage for this project. I also must thank Ken Krantz and Frank Fishbaugh for, in 1999, making the fatal mistake of signing my application for the Intelligence Regional Community Specialist Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. V Program. I am sure that they would have never signed if they had a clue as tohow long I would be walking this road. Along the way many professional colleagues supported me through direct engagement and tireless reading of early drafts and associated research papers. Most prominent and interested among them was Ed Daley, James Noone, Roddy McArthur and Gustav Otto. American University (AU) introduced me to several important academic friends and mentors. Most important among these is Louise I. Shelley, my Dissertation Chair, who provided me great opportunities and solid friendship from my first semester at AU in 1994 - then a wondering MA student. Our discussions and interactions surrounding post- Soviet organized crime captured my imagination and provided focus to my broad interests. I am deeply in her debt for playing a primary mentoring role in a large part of my professional and personal life and thankful for her consistent guidance and support through all of these years. I am also grateful to Julie Mertus and Maryann Cusimano Love for agreeing to be part of my dissertation committee and providing me with great stewardship and advice as I navigated the long road of research and writing and more research and rewriting (you get the idea). Although not an AU person or on my committee, Peter Andreas continually provided me with great inspiration and opportunities to discuss and comment on the issues of organized crime and conflict - a shared passion that he has developed broadly and well. My years at AU yielded a long stream of continued interaction and support. Louis Goodman, Randolph Persaud, Nicholas Onuf (1994-95), Abdul Aziz Said, and James Mittelman spent extra time with me and shared interest in the problems and issues on which I focused. Their good guidance and clear suggestions helped make me a more Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. disciplined and careful reader, writer, and thinker. Several of those who suffered the terminal fire of Ph.D. candidacy with me became crucial members of the “what i f 5 club—namely, John Picarelli, Ruth Reitan, Lynn Kunkel, and Amal Khoury. Finally, I am grateful to Laura Covill for editing the final draft, which became a project unto itself. In my many trips and excursions in and through BiH I met some of the most phenomenal and courageous people. These hundreds of individuals formed the substructure of my thoughts and approaches to the country and region. Chief among these people are Vlatko Cvrtila, Bojan Zee Filipovic, Velibor Lalic, and Milos Salaja. These friends and colleagues sparred regularly with me, never backing down or afraid to politely tell me I was crazy. They opened important hidden doors—giving me access to perspectives and activities rarely seen by non-locals. I apologize to their spouses for keeping them out too late, too often. Most importantly I want to thank my family for their undying belief and support throughout these nearly 40 years. My father gave me confidence, passion, communication, and the gift of reading—this cherished thing. One thousand good things would never repay him for this great gift. My mother taught me perseverance in word and life—finding strength and repose in the flurry of chaos, often created by me. My brother and sisters put up with endless declarations and debate, sometimes even enjoying the spectacle of the older brother being flat-out wrong. My wonderful wife, Kristine, endured endless rounds of editing and late-night babble. She selflessly stood with me and on the bad days propped me up - too often this was the case. Every time I quit, she said keep going. Every time I found something else to do, she said focus. Every time I left, she assured me that home would be waiting. These are the most crucial things any Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner.