Weapons proliferation and organized crime: The Russian military and security force dimension

Technical Report · Sat Jun 01 04:00:00 EDT 1996

OSTI ID:679004

Turbiville, G H

One dimension of international security of the post-Cold War era that has not received enough attention is how organized crime facilitates weapons proliferation worldwide. The former Soviet Union (FSU) has emerged as the world`s greatest counterproliferation challenge. It contains the best developed links among organized crime, military and security organizations, and weapons proliferation. Furthermore, Russian military and security forces are the principle source of arms becoming available to organized crime groups, participants in regional conflict, and corrupt state officials engaged in the black, gray, and legal arms markets in their various dimensions. The flourishing illegal trade in conventional weapons is the clearest and most tangible manifestation of the close links between Russian power ministries and criminal organizations. The magnitude of the WMD proliferation problem from the FSU is less clear and less tangible. There have been many open reports of small-scale fissile material smuggling out of the FSU. The situation with regard to the proliferation of chemical weapon usually receives less attention but may be more serious. With an acknowledged stockpile of 40,000 metric tons of chemical agents, the potential for proliferation is enormous.

• Research Organization: Air Force Academy, Inst. for National Security Studies, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 679004
• Report Number(s): AD-A--365528/XAB
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

35 ARMS CONTROL
ARMENIA
AZERBAIJAN
BELARUS
CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS
CRIME
ESTONIA
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
KAZAKHSTAN
KYRGYZSTAN
LATVIA
LITHUANIA
MOLDOVA
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
POWER
PROLIFERATION
REPUBLIC OF GEORGIA
RUSSIAN FEDERATION
SECURITY
TAJIKISTAN
TRADE
TURKMENISTAN
UKRAINE
UZBEKISTAN