Blood Profits: How American Consumers Unwittingly Fund Terrorists

Neumann, a consultant who advises governments and companies on corruption and illicit trade, illuminates the strategies of drug cartels, smugglers, and terrorist organizations as they work in concert via a “crime-terror pipeline” for financial and ideological gains. A native of Venezuela, Neumann begins by offering her outspoken criticism of Hugo Chavez and his dealings with Colombian drug cartels before turning her eye globally. Her research takes her all over Central America, to China’s Silk Road market, and to Lebanon, where she attends a chilling Hezbollah rally. Neumann explores how terrorists and cartels alike create false narratives about revolution and freedom from oppression, “manipulating fear, resentment, or other emotions of nationalism or group identity” to acquire money, recruits, and power. The result is seemingly endless “asymmetric warfare” between superpowers such as the U.S. and stateless entities such as ISIS. While this is fascinating, and certainly evidence of a very real problem, Neumann rarely touches on how ordinary consumers can consciously opt out of supporting nefarious organizations. Perhaps those seeking counterfeit designer handbags might have second thoughts, but most users of illicit drugs likely do not ask or care where their product comes from. These are thorny, multifaceted issues, however, and Neumann can’t be blamed for not solving them here. Agent: Keith Korman, Raines & Raines Literary Representatives. (Dec.)