4 June 2013
Convergence of multiple enemies: the national security threat of the 21st century
Enemy convergence, referring to the joinder of previously unconnected enemies for the purpose of joint operations or resource sharing, is one of the principal rising national security concerns of the 21st century, according to Adm. James Stavridis, the former NATO supreme commander. The joining of drug cartels with terrorist organizations to bring weapons into the United States is a possible and dangerous business model representing the dark end of the spectrum of globalization, Stavridis said.
Since drug traffickers normally act to gain financial profit, for the right amount of money they could join forces with a terrorist organization having a political or military motive but lacking the required trafficking capabilities. According to Stavridis, there are already signs of shared operations between drug traffickers and terrorists, including Hezbollah. The future of national security rests on building alliances and partnerships, including between the military and the civilian sector, and the combination of soft and hard power, Stavridis said.