Russian Organized Crime : Global Organized Crime Project (CSIS Task Force Report)

Russian organized crime constitutes a direct threat to the national security interests of the United States by fostering instability in a nuclear-armed power. Left unchecked, Russia is in jeopardy of becoming a criminal syndicalist state under the control of corrupt government bureaucrats, politicians, quasi-businessmen, and criminals. These are the conclusions of the CSIS Russian Organized Crime Task Force, as reported in a new CSIS Panel Report. Composed of senior-level U.S. government representatives and private-sector experts, the task force assesses the breadth and depth of Russian organized crime and corruption, addresses current U.S. policy, and makes recommendations on how best to confront these challenges.

The report is divided into five chapters, which in turn,

outline the impact of Russian organized crime in both Russia and the United States; provide an in-depth overview of the varied structures and characteristics of organized crime groups in Russia; analyze trends relating to the modus operandi and the increasingly sophisticated capabilities and transnational reach of Russian organized crime; assess the relevance of Russian organized crime for U.S. foreign policy and foreign investment; present a plan for action and a number of specific recommendations to prevent, deter, combat, and mitigate the threat of Russian organized crime;

In addition, appendices identify significant Russian organized crime incidents and examine some of the historical roots of the organized crime phenomenon in Russia.