FOREWORD
The National Money Laundering Strategy for 2007 breaks new ground in two important respects: it responds directly to the unprecedented U.S. interagency Money Laundering Threat Assessment completed in December 2005, and it focuses exclusively on deterring money laundering, independent of our efforts to combat the financing of terror. Money laundering, in its own right, is a serious threat to our national and economic security.
Integrating illicit proceeds into the financial system enables organized crime, fuels corruption, and erodes confidence in the rule of law.
The specific money laundering threats and vulnerabilities addressed by the 2007 Strategy were identified by an interagency working group in a year-long evaluation that culminated in the U.S. Money Laundering Threat Assessment. The Threat Assessment represents a significant step forward for the U.S. Government’s efforts to combat money laundering and is a testament to our progress. Never before have regulators, policymakers, and law enforcement professionals come together to identify money laundering trends and methods in the United States, and to assess our effectiveness against a spectrum of money laundering threats.
Further, the 2007 Strategy builds on a solid foundation of successful initiatives and programs introduced in previous National Money Laundering Strategies. Although we have made progress, money laundering is a dynamic threat requiring a dynamic response. As globalization opens borders to travel and trade, and global payments and clearing systems evolve, new money laundering opportunities are created and exploited. Accordingly, the 2007 National Money Laundering Strategy responds to established and emerging money laundering trends and techniques both at home and abroad.
Link to the detailed report: click here