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Description
This thesis is focused on analyzing the current research on the crime-terror nexus in order to better understand where the differing opinions and resulting conclusions that plague the topic are derived from, identify research trends, potential misconceptions, and opportunities for future research that may present a more complete picture of the nexus to policy makers and law enforcement officials. In order to accomplish this, a total of fifty-one works were analyzed. Initially these documents were divided and analyzed based on the source of publication (a complete list can be found in Appendix A). These works were then analyzed based on their dates of publication (a complete list can be found in Appendix B). Finally, the works were looked at comprehensively to identify similarities and differences that spanned the works as a whole. When the works were examined based on these criteria, several distinct patterns emerged. Government and military publications all agreed that the crime-terror nexus existed and posed a threat to national security and no contradicting arguments were presented, whereas media and journal articles were divided on both of these issues. The media publications examined contained a plethora of events and opinions surrounding the crime-terror nexus, many of which were completely omitted from the other publications. Only military documents focused on the potential means law enforcement could exploit the nexus. In addition, the date of publication had a drastic impact on the material and conclusions of the works in question. In earlier works, the notion of a crime-terror nexus was just beginning to be explored and the transition of evidence presented either in support or opposition changed as time progressed, affecting the author?s opinion.
