Terrorism Financing and Resourcing

GPM426

GPM426 Terrorism Financing and Resourcing

An 8 point post-graduate subject delivered by the Australian Graduate School of Policing and Security

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Workload

We offer this subject online, with an approximate workload of 8 – 10 hours per week.

To find out more, please email terrorismstudies@csu.edu.au.

Terrorist financing and resourcing is an essential mechanism through with counterterrorism practitioners, policy makers, regulators and academics can assess the strength of a terrorist group and its network. In this subject, you will explore the murky underworld of terrorist finance and resourcing, and investigate the mechanisms through which terrorist networks raise, transfer, and expend their funds. You will also be introduced to concepts around privatisation, diversification, and globalisation within the ambit of transactional criminal and terrorist activity. Finally, you will use financial intelligence to comprehend and counter complex subnational threats.

Objectives

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:

  • be able to demonstrate advanced knowledge of Terrorist Financing and Resourcing practices, with reference to subnational organisations, networks, and operations, to assess existing strategic responses
  • be able to critically analyse Terrorist Financing and Resourcing at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels, in order to identify patterns and mechanisms
  • be able to select appropriate quantitative research methods to provide empirically-based assessments of current and emerging financing threats in various terrorism and security contexts
  • be able to demonstrate leadership through rigorously and objectively analysing Terrorist Financing and Resourcing, in order to inform and influence professional practice
  • be able to clearly communicate complex counter terrorism policies, practices and approaches to specialist and non-specialist audiences

Indicative assessment

  • Key insights and Takeaways – 10%
  • Mechanism Analysis – 30%
  • Resourcing and Financial Assessment – 60%

Textbooks

The set text for this course is:

Shelley, L.I. (2015). Dirty Entanglements: Corruption, Crime, and Terrorism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Freeman, M. (ed.) (2017). Financing Terrorism: Case Studies, London: Routledge

Note that all of these texts offer something different and come at the subject from a different perspective, but all are by well-regarded experts in their field. Various chapters from these texts will readings within the subject, and will subsequently be made available electronically.

reading list extract

  • Vittori, J. (2011). ‘Terrorism Cannot Live on Idealism Alone,’ in Terrorism Financing & Resourcing, Palgrave Macmillan: Initiatives in Strategic Studies: Issues and Policies, pp. 13-25.
  • Freeman, M. (2011) ‘The Sources of Terrorist Financing: Theory and Typology,’ Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 34(6), 461-475.
  • Shelley, L. (2014). ‘The Logic of Corruption, Crime, and Terrorism’ & ‘The Business of Terrorism and the Criminal Financing of Terrorism,’ in Dirty Entanglements: Corruption, Crime, and Terrorism, Cambridge,
    UK: Cambridge University Press, pp. 1-29 & 173-218.
  • Shapiro, J.N. (2013). ‘The Challenge of
    Organizing Terror,’ in The Terrorist’s Dilemma: Managing Violent Covert Organizations, Princeton,
    NY: Princeton University Press.

subject availability

academic year 2025

Online MODE

  • SESSION 2