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Terrorists Turn to Criminal Enterprises for Cash, Al-Qaeda Boosts Recruitment Efforts, State Department Says

By Matt Squire

Terrorist organizations are building closer ties with criminal organization to fund their operations, the U.S. State Department said Wednesday. Human trafficking, smuggling and narcotics trafficking are emerging as key sources of cash for terror groups, in addition to the more traditional methods of individual contributions, false charities and front organizations, the State Department said in its 2007 Country Reports on Terrorism. Venezuela was deemed to be noncooperative with U.S. anti-terrorist efforts in May 2007. The Venezuelan government and military is "rampant" with corruption, the State Department said in the report, and the country has ideological ties with Revolutionary Armed Forces...

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