This seminar is a follow-up to the introductory course, NPTG 8621: Introduction to Money Laundering and Trade-Based Financial Crime, where students were introduced to the scope and methods of money laundering and terrorism financing. This seminar is designed to allow students to probe more deeply into case studies specific to threat finance, which is defined broadly as the financing of illegal activities that pose a threat to national security. This naturally includes terrorism financing and proliferation financing, but can also include the money laundering operations of violent narco-trafficking organizations or the laundering activities of traffickers of illegal conventional weapons sales. Readings and class discussions will examine the evolution of counter-threat financing efforts and strategies, including seizing funds, following funds, blacklisting individuals and entities, blacklisting countries, legislative and regulatory capacity building around the globe, regulatory fines of institutions, and civilian survivor lawsuits against financial institutions for facilitating terrorism financing specifically. We will also look closely at specific cases, separate from the cases that students will investigate as part of their final deliverable, which can be a paper or video documentary. And finally, we will discuss how a case is initiated and developed, looking at the various steps involved. The course will explore cases and policy measures from both the U.S. and abroad, and at the multilateral level, and feature a couple of guest speakers offering first-hand observations from the field.

Schedule
8:00am-9:50am on Tuesday (Aug 28, 2017 to Dec 15, 2017)
Location
Morse B106
Instructors