Criminology

Cited in the Innocent Project Internet Site are the problems which are associated with DNA testing and other forensic methods. These are absence of scientific standards, improper forensic testimony and forensic misconduct. Of these three discussed in the site, forensic misconduct piqued my interest the most referring to the misconduct committed by forensic scientists in the line of duty. An example given is the fabrication of test results either by concealment of salient findings or curbing the results in favor of one of the parties.

Forensic misconduct is interesting as misconduct cases are rarely depicted in television crime shows such as Crime Scene Investigation (CSI). Forensic scientists are commonly depicted not merely as educated people but more importantly as people loyal to truth and justice described further in the site as hardworking, ethical and responsible. Not as interesting are the results of forensic misconduct. First, faith in the legal system may be diminished as forensic investigations become tainted with doubt primarily because of the lack of credibility of the scientists themselves. This is a sad thing because the root of forensic findings credibility is the person or persons who work at those findings. Second, which is a by-product of the first, is that wrongful convictions have been made and which might be difficult to determine.

Among other methods, the DNA testing may be considered as properly used because as was posed in the site, this method has been developed in primary academic institutions through extensive scientific research. This, alone, sets it apart from other forensic methods which were developed solely to solve crime and evolved primarily through their use in individual cases. In fact, this method is being used to correct wrongful convictions which are a result of other forensic methods such as serology or hair microscopy. Backed by extensive research, this methods credibility may only be tainted with misconduct which is an anomaly on the scientists not on the method itself. The effective use of the method may be evidenced by the number of exonerations which resulted from its use.

JUSTICE FOR ALL ACT OF 2004
The Justice for All Act of 2004, to my humble opinion, is not a worthwhile legislation. Although it is commendable that it is a manifestation that a person is not stripped of all his rights after he or she is convicted, it is a redundant legislation. When a person gets convicted, he or she has the right to appeal the decision in the higher court where new evidence may be presented. This new evidence may, of course, include results of DNA tests which would support the innocence of the convicted person. There is no need to enact another law for this purpose.

Furthermore, as provided in the website, one of the limitations of the act is that it does not create a separate cause of action to allow a victim to file a lawsuit against the Federal Government if the victim believes that his or her rights have not been provided. This implies that if a person convicted of a crime has not been granted the right to petition for DNA testing to support his innocence, he has no right to sue the government because there was no provision for a cause of action for this. This fact makes the legislation worthless.


ROLE OF DRUG TRAFFICKING IN NATIONS OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES
Drug trafficking is a global problem connecting various countries around in the world from production to distribution. It is closely linked with other criminal acts but the United Nations Security Council recognizes the stronger link between drug trafficking and terrorism. In the 2001 Security Council Resolution 1373, the Council Notes with concern the close connection between international terrorism and transnational organized crime, illicit drugs, money-laundering, illegal arms-trafficking, and illegal movement of nuclear, chemical, biological and other potentially deadly materials.

A case in point is Afghanistan. Dr. Lowry Taylor (2006) described the country as the nexus of terrorism and drug trafficking in the Golden Crescent with its impact not limited nationally but also globally being the producer of 87 percent of the opium in the world in 2005 according to the United Nations Office of Drug and Crimes (UNODC).

In this country, drug trafficking finances terrorism as succinctly declared by Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the February 2004 international counter narcotics conference. In the conference, he declared that the money earn in the narcotics business fuels terrorism and is against the countrys national interests. In Dr. Taylors report, evidence has been cited supporting this connection. First, are the press reports on December 30, 2003 wherein the US Navy apprehended a group of Al-Qaeda suspects carrying drugs in a small fishing boat in the Arabian Sea. Second, is the raid on a drug traffickers house in Kabul in January 2004 which resulted to the confiscation of satellite phones which are used to call suspected terrorists in Turkey, the Balkans and Western Europe.

Other then Afghanistan, in the 2002 National Security Strategy (NSS) in the country of Colombia, it was also identified that there is a link between terrorist and extremist groups and drug trafficking activities that help finance the operations of those groups.

This is not to say that drug trafficking is the only source of funds for terrorism, there are other principal sources such as individual and corporate, voluntary contribution or coercive extortion, donations and contributions from people with religious or ethnic affinity, and sponsorship from patron states encouraging terrorist group to engage an inimical state among others. This, however, does not de-emphasize the connection between terrorism and drug trafficking.
 
In Mexico, drug trafficking is linked with political power. Luis Astorga in his assessment of drug trafficking in this country said that since the beginning of the drug business, the best known drug traffickers in Mexico were related in special official reports in Mexico and the U.S.A. to high ranking politicians. More precisely, these politicians were suspected of being directly involved in the illegal trade and even of controlling it. Furthermore, Astorga noted that drug trafficking in this country is a form of business which is controlled, tolerated and regulated by politicians in power.  The development of drug trafficking started from within the power structure itself because of the protection it afforded.

It can be noted from the above discussion that drug trafficking has different roles in different countries. It can be a source of funds for terrorism as in Afghanistan and Colombia or source of profit for business in Mexico. However, one thing is clear, it not only goes against national security it goes against global security. Its negative effects worldwide are felt in different areas  political, social and economic and all are detrimental. The 911 terrorist attack is one sad and immense example of the effects of drug trafficking. As was previously mentioned, drug trafficking is one of the principal sources of terrorism. The opium poppy that was cultivated in Afghanistan may have been the reason why the Al-Qaeda obtained enough resources to finance the attack. This scenario may not be firmly established but as UNODC Senior Terrorism Prevention Officer Irka Kuleshnyk said in a recent conference in Istanbul, The Role of Drug Trafficking in Promoting and Financing Todays Global Terrorism, While it is difficult to establish how widely terrorist groups are involved in the illicit drug trade, or the breadth and nature of cooperation between these two criminal groups, the magnitude of the numbers involved make the relationship worrisome.