Violent non-state actor

The Geneva Conventions refer to two types of armed conflict—“international armed conflict” and “non-international armed conflict”—but do not define the term “armed conflict” and do not provide definitive answers in peripheral situations of conflict, such as those involving a State and a transnational terrorist network. However, the Geneva Conventions do not operate in a vacuum but function in conjunction with other bodies of law, including…

Somalia is consistently seen as a failed state, undeniably it could be argued that it is the classic case as Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). As Messner (2013) argues, “it is also indubitable that the plan to build and sustain a modern state, with internal and external sovereignty as its defining characteristics has failed in Somalia.” However, Robert W. Cox (2209) adds, “many works in political science dealing with Somalia are written from a ‘problem-solving…

The involvement of women in domestic terrorism and warfare in the United States has been poorly explored by counterterrorist actors, scholars, and policy makers. This is because the experiences of females in armed conflict are different to those of men, due to the perceived gendered share of responsibilities and roles. Historically, direct combat was exclusively recognized as the affairs of men, with many children and women being the victims due to direct targeting and displacement. Thus, women…

the main actors in the international are states and states always concern about their own…

In November of 2000, over 60 percent of California voters approved the Substance Abuse and Crime Prevention Act, a statute designed to aid non-violent drug offenders (“California Proposition 36”). Under Proposition 36, individuals convicted of non-violent drug offenses are offered probation and community-based treatment programs, in lieu of incarceration (“California Proposition 36”). The concept behind the proposition is commendable, but also very controversial. In terms of eligibility and…

mid-1950’s. Andrew Laeddis had a history that involved severe trauma, alcohol abuse, and a previous position of power. All of these could lead to a degradation of mental state following a severe enough stressor. The only thing I disliked was that Andrew regressed back into Teddy Daniels. While I admit that a regression into a protective state to protect the mind can happen, and often does, I need more background information on if there were any triggers that would have prompted the regression.…

security environments, requirements to reshape current capabilities for Joint Force 2025 by service, with advantages and disadvantages and associated risks. The future security environment increases in complexity and uncertainty with the rise of state and non-state…

If reasons such as having a political agenda, being a non-state actor and harming innocent people are used to separate terrorist attacks from non terrorist attacks, why segregate them according to religious affiliations? The bias and discrimination has been imprinted so much into our subconscious that when I asked my friends to simply describe what…

year, countless headlines around the world dealt with the growing occurrences of terrorism in our world.Terrorism is not a new phenomenon dating back to the 1950 's, but social media makes its presence greater in the world. Groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Al-Qaeda are harming people to gain attention and spread their ideas. In 2014, 32,658…

Globally, separatists groups tend to feel ostracized in the state which they live, so they seek autonomy and, oftentimes, sovereignty. System-level international changes have made secessionism more prevalent since 1945. The increase of benefits that are brought to groups by independence has changed since the mid-twentieth century. Because of the potential prosperity postulated by the idea of autonomy, political minorities are some of the most susceptible groups to creating disunity. Oftentimes,…