USSOCOM's Role in Addressing Human Trafficking

<p>Human Trafficking is modern slavery. Its size global scope and potential to threaten national security warrants appropriate Department of Defense attention. However the existing U.S. government institutions tasked to respond to Human Trafficking fail to account for the Department of Defense as an effective partner in addressing this global blight. This monograph asks whether the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has a role in addressing Human Trafficking. Human Trafficking mimics and compliments other illicit activities that destabilizes regions and creates environmental opportunities for violent extremist organizations. Activities such as illicit arms trafficking and narco-terrorism are known to destabilize regions and have some causal links to violent extremist organizations. USSOCOM currently addresses those particular illicit activities operationally through the Theater Special Operations Commands (TSOCs); however USSOCOM does not appear to address human trafficking. Tasked to synchronize global efforts to counter violent extremist organizations U.S. Special Operations command is in a unique position to address Human Trafficking as a compliment to existing U.S. government efforts to counter human trafficking. Using a most similar systems design methodology the monograph compares two illicit activities with human trafficking in order to demonstrate the necessity for USSOCOM attention. This monograph posits that USSOCOM should address human trafficking to augment existing U.S. Government efforts. Specifically USSOCOM may use a similar operational approach taken to counter narco-terrorism as well as increased intelligence synchronization with the U.S. Department of State Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p>