Misguided Policies in the War on Terror? The Case for Disentangling Terrorist Financing from Money Laundering

In the war on terror governments have sought to tackle the issue of terrorist financing by building on the pre-existing regime against money laundering. The article argues that although there are similarities between money laundering and terrorist financing, there are also important differences between these illegal financial activities. Money laundering is ultimately about safeguarding profits, while terrorist financing aims to support groups with violent political objectives. The article suggests that each threat would be best addressed by the use of targeted strategies.