John Cassara retired after a 26 year career in the federal government intelligence and law enforcement communities. He is considered an expert in anti-money laundering and terrorist financing, with particular expertise in the areas of money laundering in the Middle East and the growing threat of alternative remittance systems and forms of trade-based money laundering and value transfer. A large part of his career was spent overseas. He is one of the very few to have been both a clandestine operations officer in the U.S. intelligence community and a Special Agent for the Department of Treasury.
In 2006, Mr. Cassara wrote Hide and Seek: Intelligence, Law Enforcement, and the Stalled War on Terrorist Finance. Although the issues involved with terrorist finance are complex, the book was written primarily for the layperson. It takes the form of a story. The incidents and issues discussed are designed to give the concerned and curious citizen one public servant’s perspective on what “it is really like out there.” Many examples are given of larger issues that have not yet been addressed by various post September 11 reforms.
In 2010, Mr. Cassara co-authored On the Trail of Terror Finance: What Intelligence and Law Enforcement Officers Need to Know. The book is more of a textbook or a manual and was written primarily for law enforcement and intelligence professionals. Compliance officers in financial institutions, as well as the concerned citizen, will also find the book of interest. The book is written in a straight forward manner with plenty of examples, practical tips, “cheat sheets,” and sample questions that might be helpful in an interview. Chapters include sources of financial intelligence, bulk cash smuggling, trade-based money laundering, the Afghan transit trade, the misuse of gold and diamonds, hawala, the charitable sector, crime in support of terrorism, international monitoring, criminalization and sanctions, etc.
Money is the necessary ingredient for terrorist organizations. Simply put, without money there is no terrorism. Unfortunately, years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, despite a variety of initiatives, countermeasures, regulations, and reorganizations, there is no doubt that terrorist networks retain access to hidden financial sources and can move and transfer both money and value to finance the next terrorist plot.
