The "crime terror nexus" is a major area of concern for policymakers. In a globalized world, extremist groups use criminal relationships or skills for a range of purposes: from sourcing weapons to smuggling operatives into and out of countries to 'simply' circumventing financial regulations designed to starve such groups of needed monetary support. Thus far, countermeasures have had uneven results in disrupting or deterring transnational criminal activities by violent non-state actors. This course will explore the problems of international crime and terrorism in today's strategic environment, with a particular emphasis on the 'why' and 'how' of the crime-terrorism relationship. Students will gain an understanding of the factors that have contributed to the proliferation of transnational crime and terrorism, the types of crimes that pose the greatest threat to lawful societies, the institutions and tactical responses that have been developed to combat transnational crime, and the extent to which transnational crime and terrorism threaten the national security interests of the United States and the world community. By the end of this course, students should be familiar with the prevailing explanations for why terrorist groups use crime in the modern era, the organizational consequences of such a funding stream, and  how states can and should respond to these challenges.