The Foreign Service Journal, June 2016

20 JUNE 2016 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL CORRUPTION: A 21st-Century Security Challenge FOCUS ON CORRUPTION AND FOREIGN POLICY Sarah Sewall is the under secretary of State for civilian security, democracy and human rights. Sworn in on Feb. 20, 2014, she serves concurrently as the special coordinator for Tibetan issues. I n a world of globalized threats, bad governance is a liability. Poorly governed areas provide not just a safe haven, but sometimes even a justifica- tion for non-state actors like terrorists, traffickers, insurgents, drug cartels and criminal groups to step in and fill the void. These sinister networks thrive where the state cannot prevent or police them, and they benefit when citizens envision better futures or security in an illicit and immoral world. By undermining state effectiveness, corruption creates openings for these dangerous actors. Corruption also gives them a tool to infiltrate and influence the state itself, further weakening governance and expanding terrorist and criminal reach. As we’ve seen in places like Honduras and Iraq, cor- ruption is not simply an issue of rights and efficiency. The cost of corruption can increasingly be measured in security and stability. By undermining state effectiveness, eroding trust between citizens and government and exploiting vulnerable populations, corruption has emerged as a top-priority national security threat. BY SARAH SEWAL L Corruption’s Insidious Reach Corruption feeds instability by eroding trust between people and government. It turns institutions of public service into tools for public exploitation. Left unchecked, corruption can fuel apathy and even hostility toward public institutions. In Tunisia, Ukraine, Egypt and elsewhere, it drove protesters into the streets to upend the political order. But corruption can also undermine security in less dramatic ways. Crooked officials can make citizens believe that the system is rigged against them, creating sympathy for non-state actors promising a better bargain. In Iraq, the so-called Islamic State, or Daesh, recruits members by portraying itself as a “pure” alterna- tive to a corrupt government. The Taliban makes the same case in Afghanistan. Research from the State Department’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations has found that citizens who personally experience corruption are more likely to engage in violent, extremist behavior. While corruption can give rise to new threats, it can also undermine the government’s ability to respond to those threats and ensure security. As Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi prepared to take on Daesh last year, he discovered 50,000 “ghost soldiers” on the government payroll costing Iraqis $380 million a