{"id":19761,"date":"2015-04-16T14:00:38","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T04:00:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=19761"},"modified":"2015-04-16T13:26:58","modified_gmt":"2015-04-16T03:26:58","slug":"the-beat-and-ct-scan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/the-beat-and-ct-scan\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beat and CT Scan"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n This week in The Beat \u2013 more problems in Australia\u2019s \u2018ice\u2019 epidemic, big money in European organised crime and news for Serial<\/em> fans. And this week in Counterterrorism\u00a0Scan, Australian foreign fighters, counterterror in the Asia-Pacific and mapping jihadi groups.<\/p>\n The Beat<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Australia\u2019s \u2018ice\u2019 epidemic<\/strong><\/p>\n We\u2019ve referred to an Australian Crime Commission report describing methamphetamine, or \u2018ice\u2019, as the biggest illicit drug problem facing law enforcement<\/a>. In a new op-ed, David Connery and Hayley Channer<\/a> describe some of the recent changes to the Australian illicit drug landscape. Notably, the internationalisation of the drug trade presents new challenges for law enforcement and international cooperation.<\/p>\n Problems with dealing with ice aren\u2019t just overseas. Justice Minister Michael Keenan has expressed concerns that criminals are exploiting differences in the way Australian states and territories monitor the legal substances used in ice manufacturing<\/a>. He has called for national consistency on chemicals ahead of Law Crime and Community Safety Committee<\/a> of the Council of Australian Governments meeting in Canberra in May.<\/p>\n Organised crime in Europe is big business<\/strong><\/p>\n The Organised Crime Portfolio<\/a>, an EU-based research consortium, has written a new report, \u2018From illegitimate markers to legitimate businesses: the portfolio of organised crime in europe<\/a>\u2019. The report puts costs of organised crime in Europe at \u20ac110 billion per year.<\/p>\n According to the report, there is a move by organised crime gangs from high risk areas like drugs into areas like tax fraud. The report also stressed the need for greater private and public sector cooperation\u2014for instance, in data exchange and best practices\u2014to close loopholes that organised criminal groups can exploit.<\/p>\n Serial<\/em> spinoff: Undisclosed<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Finally, if you\u2019re anything like us you\u2019ll be eagerly waiting for the second season of Serial<\/em><\/a>, the podcast series that investigated the prosecution of Adnan Syed for the murder of Hae Min Lee. You can listen to Undisclosed: The State v. Adnan Syed<\/em><\/a>, a new series that picks up where Serial<\/em> left off. This isn\u2019t the last we\u2019re likely to hear of this case; Syed\u2019s appeal<\/a> is set for June 2015.<\/p>\n CT Scan<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Terrorism researcher Andrew Zammit has a new Lowy Institute report<\/a> out today that argues that Australians fighting in Iraq and Syria pose a threat to Australia\u2019s security. Andrew examines non-coercive means a part of a range of options to address that threat, and suggests that countering violent extremism measures adopted from other jurisdictions must be calibrated for the Australian context.<\/p>\n CT measures beefed up in the Asia Pacific<\/strong><\/p>\n In the region, the Indonesian military<\/a> plans to teach villagers about a \u2018moderate\u2019 interpretation of Islam. Malaysia\u2019s army also attracted attention, but for the wrong reasons; 70 army personnel were found to be involved with Islamic State<\/a> and will be counselled by police and army personnel. The Diplomat <\/em>offers some context<\/a>. Over to China, with a number of attacks in public areas the nation announced that it will bolster its security measures on public transport<\/a>. These measures are part of a broader strategy to build a \u2018security network\u2019 that increases monitoring of potential terrorism offenders.<\/p>\n African governments take on terrorism<\/strong><\/p>\n In Africa, VICE News <\/em>has released its last instalment of its three-part series<\/a>, documenting a journalist\u2019s rare experiences on the front line of Nigeria\u2019s battle against Boko Haram (13 mins). However, with the election of the new president Muhammadu Buhari\u2014a former military chief of state and retired general\u2014Nigeria might have finally found a leader to weaken Boko Haram<\/a>. As for al-Shabaab, Paul Hidalgo at Foreign Affairs <\/em>makes the case<\/a> that the biggest cause of Kenya\u2019s terrorism problem is not al-Shabaab; it\u2019s the nation\u2019s own government. This week\u2019s visual is the Foreign Policy Research Institute\u2019s <\/em>map<\/a> of fractures in jihadi groups around the world, comparing today\u2019s situation with that of last year. It appears that Islamic State has ballooned at al-Qaeda\u2019s expense, and that Islamic State has splintered other jihadi organisations while revamping the plight of peripheral groups.<\/p>\n