It was only in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks that the US government began cracking down on terrorist financing. The passage of the USA Patriot Act in October 2001 was, in part, an attempt by the federal government to impede the financing of terrorism and the flow of money laundering. In addition to passing legislation that made it more difficult for terrorists to launder money, the USA Patriot Act attempted to crack down on nonprofit organizations such as charities and underground banking systems such as “hawalas” (USA Patriot Act). Running a terrorist organization is not cheap, as these organizations have to pay for personnel, training, operations, weapons, security, compensation to the families of killed freedom fighters, and much more (Madinger, 280-2) . According to Money Laundering: A Guide for Criminal Investigators, terrorist financing comes from four sources: criminal activity, legitimate or semi-legitimate activity, government or state sponsorship, and charitable contributions or donations (Madinger, 279). Contrary to public belief, many terrorist organizations ask for money directly from the local community. By soliciting donations and contributions, the organization is able to legitimately raise funds for its operations. Furthermore, the role of states sponsoring terrorism through monetary contributions continues to pose a growing threat. According to the US State Department, countries currently directly sponsoring terrorism include: Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria (US State Department). In an attempt to evade detection by authorities and continue to finance their organizations, terrorists also finance themselves through legitimate activities. The Provisional Irish Republican Army oper...... middle of paper ......Committee 267, Resolution 1267." UN News Center. UN, nd Web. 10 June 2014. "The iceberg under the charity." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, March 15, 2003. Web. June 9, 2014. "USA Patriot Act" Np, nd Web. .Warrick, Joby and Tik Root officials donated millions to al-Qaeda, US says ." Washington Post. The Washington Post, December 22, 2013. Web. June 10, 2014. "how many countries in the world." how many countries in the world. Np, nd Web. June 6 2014. .