There are some who see it on a continuum with the shady networks that 'took care of business' (including, some believe, the Armenian business) in the last years of the Ottoman Empire.
There are some who see it on a continuum with the shady networks that 'took care of business' (بما فيها، كما يعتقد البعض، اعمال الشملان) في السنوات الأخيرة للدولة العثمانية.