CFT: The Imperative of Interagency Synergy

By Matthew Levitt

Earlier today I had the opportunity to testify before the The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities at a hearing on "Tracking and Disrupting Terrorist Financial Networks: A Potential Model for Inter-agency Success?"

I argued that the transnational threats facing the United States and its allies today in terrorism, proliferation, insurgencies and more are not static threats; rather, they are constantly evolving in response to events on the ground -- including our efforts to combat them. Our response to these threats will be as successful as it is coordinated internally across our own interagency and more broadly among the U.S. and its allies.

The Iraq Threat Finance Cell (ITFC), based in Baghdad, is a perfect example of one such interagency effort that works. Co-led by the DoD and Treasury, it was established in 2005 with the purpose of enhancing the collection, analysis and dissemination of timely financial intelligence on the Iraqi insurgency. It has become a key component of interagency and MNF-I efforts to detect, identify, and disrupt financial networks supporting insurgent and terrorist elements operating in Iraq. The new Afghan Threat Finance Cell builds on the demonstrated success of the ITFC.

We have undoubtedly made great strides in our counterterrorism efforts in general, as well as in counterinsurgency efforts in Iraq, and our measures to combat the financing of such threats in particular, even as we have far to go. Interagency efforts like threat finance cells in Iraq and Afghanistan are one reason for these successes.

My full testimony is available here. The audio and video of the panel, which also featured Mr. Edward Frothingham III, Principal Director for Transnational Threats in the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense and Lieutenant General David P. Fridovich, Commander of the Center for Special Operations at the U. S. Special Operations Command, are available on the Committee's website.