Terrorism Base Potential in the Tri-Border Area of Latin America
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Calhoun, Institutional Archive of the Naval Postgraduate School Calhoun: The NPS Institutional Archive Theses and Dissertations Thesis Collection 2006-12 Terrorism base potential in the tri-border area of Latin America Halaburda, Pablo. Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2454 NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL THESIS TERRORISM BASE POTENTIAL IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA OF LATIN AMERICA by Pablo Halaburda December 2006 Thesis Advisor: Kalev Sepp Second Reader: Hy Rothstein Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instruction, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, Arlington, VA 22202-4302, and to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0704-0188) Washington DC 20503. 1. AGENCY USE ONLY (Leave blank) 2. REPORT DATE 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED December 2006 Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE: Terrorism Base Potential in the Tri-Border Area 5. FUNDING NUMBERS of Latin America 6. AUTHOR(S) Pablo Halaburda 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING Naval Postgraduate School ORGANIZATION REPORT Monterey, CA 93943-5000 NUMBER 9. SPONSORING /MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING N/A AGENCY REPORT NUMBER 11. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government. 12a. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT 12b. DISTRIBUTION CODE Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) This study of the Tri-Border Area of Latin America demonstrates the region is highly vulnerable to the penetration and development of illegal interests, and thus it is also vulnerable to terrorism. The Tri-Border Area is bounded by Puerto Iguazu, Argentina; Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; and Foz do Iguazu, Brazil. It has always been considered fertile ground for terrorists groups. Illicit activities are common, generating annually billions of dollars in money laundering, arms and drug trafficking, money and document forgery, and electronic media counterfeiting. This area offer terrorists potential financial sources, access to illegal arms and advanced technology, ease of movement and concealment, and a population in which to recruit new members. While the Tri- Border Area is not a major center of gravity in the Global War on Terrorism, compared to other centers of terrorist operations like the Near East or Europe, it has an important position in the strategy to combat international terrorism. 14. SUBJECT TERMS Counterterrorism, Tri_Border, Transnational Crime, Drug Traffic 15. NUMBER OF PAGES 107 16. PRICE CODE 17. SECURITY 18. SECURITY 19. SECURITY 20. LIMITATION CLASSIFICATION OF CLASSIFICATION OF THIS CLASSIFICATION OF OF ABSTRACT REPORT PAGE ABSTRACT Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified UL NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18 i THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK ii Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited TERRORISM BASE POTENTIAL IN THE TRI-BORDER AREA OF LATIN AMERICA Pablo Halaburda Major, Paraguayan Army B.S., Paraguay Military Academy, 1989 Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DEFENSE ANALYSIS from the NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL December 2006 Author: Pablo Halaburda Approved by: Kalev Sepp Thesis Advisor Hy Rothstein Second Reader Gordon McCormick Chairman, Department of Defense Analysis iii THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT This study of the Tri-Border Area of Latin America demonstrates the region is highly vulnerable to the penetration and development of illegal interests, and thus it is also vulnerable to terrorism. The Tri-Border Area is bounded by Puerto Iguazu, Argentina; Ciudad del Este, Paraguay; and Foz do Iguazu, Brazil. It has always been considered fertile ground for terrorists groups. Illicit activities are common, generating annually billions of dollars in money laundering, arms and drug trafficking, money and document forgery, and electronic media counterfeiting. This area offer terrorists potential financial sources, access to illegal arms and advanced technology, ease of movement and concealment, and a population in which to recruit new members. While the Tri-Border Area is not a major center of gravity in the Global War on Terrorism, compared to other centers of terrorist operations like the Near East or Europe, it has an important position in the strategy to combat international terrorism. v THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK vi TABLE OF CONTENTS I. GENERAL VIEW OF THE TRI-BORDER .............................................................1 A. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................1 B. GEOGRAPHIC SITUATION ........................................................................3 C. ECONOMIC SITUATION .............................................................................3 D. JUDICIAL SITUATION.................................................................................3 1. Migratory Norms .................................................................................3 2. Financial Norms...................................................................................4 3. Penalties Norms....................................................................................5 4. Tax and Customs Norms.....................................................................5 5. International Treaties..........................................................................5 E. GEOPOLITICAL SITUATION.....................................................................6 F. DEMOGRAPHIC SITUATION.....................................................................6 G. CONTROL SITUATION................................................................................7 II. GENERAL VIEW OF TERRORISM IN THE WORLD........................................9 A. DEFINITION OF “TERRORISM” ...............................................................9 B. EVOLUTION OF TERRORISM IN THE WORLD ...................................9 1. Synchronic-Geographic Evolution ...................................................11 a. Terrorism in Europe ...............................................................11 b. Terrorism in America..............................................................12 c. Terrorism in Asia ....................................................................12 d. Terrorism in Africa .................................................................14 2. Diachronic Evolution.........................................................................14 3. Technical Evolution ...........................................................................15 C. TERRORIST OBJECTIVES........................................................................16 D. CLASH OF FUNDAMENTALISMS...........................................................16 1. Economic Fundamentalism...............................................................16 2. Political Fundamentalism..................................................................17 3. Cultural Fundamentalism.................................................................18 E. MAIN ACTIVE TERRORIST GROUPS....................................................18 1. Abu Sayaf............................................................................................18 2. ELN .....................................................................................................18 3. ETA .....................................................................................................18 4. FARC ..................................................................................................18 5. Islamic Jihad.......................................................................................19 6. Hamas..................................................................................................19 7. Hezbollah ............................................................................................19 8. IRA ......................................................................................................19 9. Shining Path .......................................................................................19 10. Al-Qaeda .............................................................................................19 III. TERRORISM, POLITICS AND MONEY..............................................................21 vii A. FINANCIAL SYSTEMS ...............................................................................27 1. Illegal Sources.....................................................................................27 2. Legal Sources......................................................................................28 B.