There is a strong relationship between organised crime and civil war. This article contributes to the crime-conflict nexus literature by providing a consideration of the role of organised crime in the Syrian conflict. It provides an overview of pre- and post-war organised crime in Syria. The article then builds the argument that war provides opportunities for organised crime through the state’s diminished law enforcement ability; the economic hardship which civilians face during war; and the abundance of armed groups who all need to generate revenue. Secondly, the paper argues that organised crime also affects the intensity and duration of war by enabling militants to reproduce themselves materially and to build institutions amongst the communities where they are active. The relationships between armed groups and local populations emerge as a central theme in understanding the crime-conflict nexus.

中文翻译：

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叙利亚的犯罪冲突关系和内战

有组织的犯罪与内战之间有着密切的关系。本文通过考虑有组织犯罪在叙利亚冲突中的作用，为犯罪冲突关系文献做出贡献。它概述了叙利亚战前和战后的有组织犯罪。然后，文章提出了这样一个论点，即战争通过国家削弱的执法能力为有组织的犯罪提供了机会；平民在战争期间面临的经济困难；以及大量需要创收的武装团体。其次，该论文认为，有组织犯罪还通过使激进分子能够在物质上进行自我复制并在他们活跃的社区中建立机构来影响战争的强度和持续时间。