Despite media hoopla, cross-border crime -- illegal drugs sales, evasion of taxes, intellectual property theft, and money laundering -- is hardly a new phenomenon. For much of history, moreover, the United States was as much perpetrator as victim. Recognizing this awkward truth should help cool down overheated debates about today's transnational problems and how to respond to them.

The link between crime and the state is neither as new nor as scary as Moisés Naím depicted it, argues Peter Andreas; after all, criminals have been corrupting governments for centuries.

Mafia states enjoy the unhealthy advantages of their hybrid status: they're as nimble as gangs and as well protected as governments, and thus more dangerous than either.

The Bush administration is convening a conference in Annapolis to try to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Skeptics, however, abound.

The European Union scolds Serbia for its inability—some would say refusal—to hand over Ratko Mladic, the disgraced Bosnian Serb military leader and indicted war criminal who has eluded capture for over a decade.

Governments have frozen some $140 million in terrorists' assets since the 9/11 attacks, yet terrorist groups have adapted to remain financially viable. To keep up, governments, too, must change their tactics.

Listen to John B. Bellinger III, Steven Simon, and Lydia Khalil consider the ramifications of the Justice department's controversial decision to prosecute suspected September 11th mastermind, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, and his four alleged co-conspirators.

Listen to Robert S. Mueller, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, as he details his agency's efforts to effectively address threats from global terrorism as a global security, national security, and law enforcement organization.

A lower-profile but still crucial aspect of global anti-terror efforts involves unraveling the networks that have funded attacks from New York to Bali. Terrorists have proven adept at maintaining financial links intact.

President Obama signed the executive order on Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking In Persons In Federal Contracts on September 25, 2012.

The White House released this fact sheet on efforts to combat human trafficking on September 25, 2012.

The U.S. State Department released its yearly Trafficking in Persons report on June 19, 2012.

The International Instrument to Enable States to Identify and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable Manner, Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 8, 2005.

December 2008 ECOWAS Abuja Declaration ("Political Declaration on the Prevention Of Drug Abuse, Illicit Drug Trafficking and Organized Crimes in West Africa") was adopted in December 2008.

The Organization of American States (OAS) produced these conclusions and recommendations regarding a "Hemispheric Plan of Action against Transnational Organized Crime" at their meeting on April 19, 2005 in Washington, DC.

The OECD released the Progress Report "Towards Global Tax Co-operation: Progress in Identifying and Eliminating Harmful Tax Practices" in 2000.

The Protocol to the Organization of American States (OAS) Inter-American Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters was adopted on June 11, 1993.

The OECD Model Agreement on Exchange of Information on Tax Matters was released by the OECD in April 2002.