How Militias and Paramilitary Groups Shape Post-Conflict Transitions
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RUNNING HEAD: Paramilitary Police Paramilitary Police Organizations
RUNNING HEAD: Paramilitary Police Paramilitary Police Organizations Abstract After providing the reader with examples of paramilitary structures and formalizing a definition of paramilitary, this manuscript analyzes the literature available and discusses several important themes, including: the rise of police militarization, international perspectives, community policing, hierarchy, subculture, and training. As the topic of community policing reemerges, the philosophical appeal remains, despite its use as a form of face saving and as a means to fund tactical units. On a subtler level, this study proposes that police subculture in the United States contrasts the general populace significantly, which could explain tensions between the police and public. Examination of the characteristics of this subculture shed some light onto the policing paradigm and on how communication unfolds inside and outside of police organizations. Through this synthesis, the appropriateness of a quasi-military paradigm and its resulting structure, language, and behavior, is brought into question. PARAMILITARY POLICE 2 “Every art and every inquiry, and similarly every action and choice, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has rightly been declared to be that at which all things aim.” (Aristotle, 2009, p. 3) Introduction Law enforcement is one of the most interactive pieces of government with the public. Most people, across all cultures, have some notion of what policing is and some opinion of what it should be. In the past three decades a rise in the militarization of policing in the United States has been speculated, observed, and critiqued by many scholars in academia and professionals in law enforcement. -
Looking Into Iraq
Chaillot Paper July 2005 n°79 Looking into Iraq Martin van Bruinessen, Jean-François Daguzan, Andrzej Kapiszewski, Walter Posch and Álvaro de Vasconcelos Edited by Walter Posch cc79-cover.qxp 28/07/2005 15:27 Page 2 Chaillot Paper Chaillot n° 79 In January 2002 the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) beca- Looking into Iraq me an autonomous Paris-based agency of the European Union. Following an EU Council Joint Action of 20 July 2001, it is now an integral part of the new structures that will support the further development of the CFSP/ESDP. The Institute’s core mission is to provide analyses and recommendations that can be of use and relevance to the formulation of the European security and defence policy. In carrying out that mission, it also acts as an interface between European experts and decision-makers at all levels. Chaillot Papers are monographs on topical questions written either by a member of the ISS research team or by outside authors chosen and commissioned by the Institute. Early drafts are normally discussed at a semi- nar or study group of experts convened by the Institute and publication indicates that the paper is considered Edited by Walter Posch Edited by Walter by the ISS as a useful and authoritative contribution to the debate on CFSP/ESDP. Responsibility for the views expressed in them lies exclusively with authors. Chaillot Papers are also accessible via the Institute’s Website: www.iss-eu.org cc79-Text.qxp 28/07/2005 15:36 Page 1 Chaillot Paper July 2005 n°79 Looking into Iraq Martin van Bruinessen, Jean-François Daguzan, Andrzej Kapiszewski, Walter Posch and Álvaro de Vasconcelos Edited by Walter Posch Institute for Security Studies European Union Paris cc79-Text.qxp 28/07/2005 15:36 Page 2 Institute for Security Studies European Union 43 avenue du Président Wilson 75775 Paris cedex 16 tel.: +33 (0)1 56 89 19 30 fax: +33 (0)1 56 89 19 31 e-mail: [email protected] www.iss-eu.org Director: Nicole Gnesotto © EU Institute for Security Studies 2005. -
Jihadism in Africa Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances
SWP Research Paper Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber (Eds.) Jihadism in Africa Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances RP 5 June 2015 Berlin All rights reserved. © Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, 2015 SWP Research Papers are peer reviewed by senior researchers and the execu- tive board of the Institute. They express exclusively the personal views of the authors. SWP Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik German Institute for International and Security Affairs Ludwigkirchplatz 34 10719 Berlin Germany Phone +49 30 880 07-0 Fax +49 30 880 07-100 www.swp-berlin.org [email protected] ISSN 1863-1053 Translation by Meredith Dale (Updated English version of SWP-Studie 7/2015) Table of Contents 5 Problems and Recommendations 7 Jihadism in Africa: An Introduction Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 13 Al-Shabaab: Youth without God Annette Weber 31 Libya: A Jihadist Growth Market Wolfram Lacher 51 Going “Glocal”: Jihadism in Algeria and Tunisia Isabelle Werenfels 69 Spreading Local Roots: AQIM and Its Offshoots in the Sahara Wolfram Lacher and Guido Steinberg 85 Boko Haram: Threat to Nigeria and Its Northern Neighbours Moritz Hütte, Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 99 Conclusions and Recommendations Guido Steinberg and Annette Weber 103 Appendix 103 Abbreviations 104 The Authors Problems and Recommendations Jihadism in Africa: Local Causes, Regional Expansion, International Alliances The transnational terrorism of the twenty-first century feeds on local and regional conflicts, without which most terrorist groups would never have appeared in the first place. That is the case in Afghanistan and Pakistan, Syria and Iraq, as well as in North and West Africa and the Horn of Africa. -
Somalia's Al-Shabaab and the Global Jihad Network
Terrorism without Borders: Somalia’s Al-Shabaab and the global jihad network by Daniel E. Agbiboa This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. Abstract This article sets out to explore the evolution, operational strategy and transnational dimensions of Harakat Al-Shabab al-Mujahedeen (aka Al-Shabab), the Somali-based Islamist terrorist group. The article argues that Al-Shabab’s latest Westgate attack in Kenya should be understood in the light of the group’s deepening ties with Al-Qaeda and its global jihad, especially since 2009 when Al-Shabab formally pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden’s Al-Qaeda and welcomed the organisation’s core members into its leadership. Key words: Al-Shabab, Westgate Attack; Al-Qaeda; Global Jihad; Kenya; Somalia. Introduction n 21 September 2013, the world watched with horror as a group of Islamist gunmen stormed Kenya’s high-end Westgate Mall in Nairobi and fired at weekend shoppers, killing over 80 people. The gunmen reportedly shouted in Swahili that Muslims would be allowed to leave while all others Owere subjected to their bloodletting (Agbiboa, 2013a). Countries like France, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and Ghana, among others, all confirmed that their citizens were among those affected. The renowned Ghanaian Poet, Kofi Awoonor, was also confirmed dead in the attack (Mamdani, 2013). The Somali-based and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Islamist terrorist group, Harakat Al-Shabab al-Mujahideen or, more commonly, Al-Shabab – “the youth” in Arabic – have since claimed responsibility for the horrific attack through its Twitter account. -
Social Media in Africa
Social media in Africa A double-edged sword for security and development Technical annex Kate Cox, William Marcellino, Jacopo Bellasio, Antonia Ward, Katerina Galai, Sofia Meranto, Giacomo Persi Paoli Table of contents Table of contents ...................................................................................................................................... iii List of figures ........................................................................................................................................... iv List of tables .............................................................................................................................................. v Abbreviations .......................................................................................................................................... vii Annex A: Overview of Technical Annex .................................................................................................... 1 Annex B: Background to al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and ISIL ..................................................................... 3 Annex C: Timeline of significant dates ...................................................................................................... 9 Annex D: Country profiles ...................................................................................................................... 25 Annex E: Social media and communications platforms ............................................................................ 31 Annex F: Twitter data -
The Armed Forces: Roles and Responsibilities in Good Security
SSR BACKGROUNDER The Armed Forces Roles and responsibilities in good security sector governance About this series The SSR Backgrounders provide concise introductions to topics and concepts in good security sector governance (SSG) and security sector reform (SSR). The series summarizes current debates, explains key terms and exposes central tensions based on a broad range of international experiences. The SSR Backgrounders do not promote specific models, policies or proposals for good governance or reform but do provide further resources that will allow readers to extend their knowledge on each topic. The SSR Backgrounders are a resource for security governance and reform stakeholders seeking to understand but also to critically assess current approaches to good SSG and SSR. About this SSR Backgrounder This SSR Backgrounder is about the roles and responsibilities of national armed forces in good security sector governance (SSG). The armed forces are a cornerstone of state and human security, but their legitimacy and effectiveness depend on fulfilling their mission accountably within a framework of democratic, civilian control, rule of law and respect for human rights. This backgrounder explains how good SSG can improve both accountability and effectiveness in the interests of state and human security. This SSR Backgrounder answers the following questions: What are the armed forces? Page 2 What are the roles of the armed forces in good SSG? Page 3 How does democratic civilian control of the armed forces contribute to good SSG? Page 4 What -
The Sunni Tribes in Iraq: Between Local Power, the International Coalition 1 and the Islamic State by Hosham Dawod
Report September 2015 The Sunni tribes in Iraq: between local power, the international coalition 1 and the Islamic State By Hosham Dawod Executive summary Particularly in the Middle East there is increased interest in the social and political realities that the term “tribe” now refers to in societies experiencing internal conflict, with both local and global implications. Nearly everywhere the Arab Spring has ended in civil war, attempts at neo-authoritarianism or, more visibly, a spiralling increase in Islamic State-type radical jihadism. In the face of the weakness and even collapse of states, the international powers’ flexibility has been reduced and recourse to tribal support has become increasingly common. The following analysis looks briefly at the phenomenon of the Sunni tribes in Iraq – a country that is experiencing a political break-up, a weakening of the state, radical jihadism, a sectarian war, and regional and international intervention. In the Arab Muslim world the tribe is back at the centre of do not necessarily trigger or accelerate the disappearance political, military and – more generally speaking – security of a range of sociohistorical phenomena (local communi- considerations. There is now no secret about the interest ties, infra-ethnic identities, tribes, etc.). On the contrary, that the U.S. army, after getting bogged down in Iraq, has we see in various places a significant dynamic resulting in taken in the tribal question in that country since 2004, i.e. a resurgence of these phenomena – to the extent that they a year after invading it. This interest was manifest espe- are situated at the heart of conflict resolution. -
Table of Contents
IRAQI INSURGENT MEDIA: THE WAR OF IMAGES AND IDEAS Table of Contents 1 Key Findings ................................................................................................................. 3 2 Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 2.1 Two Days in Iraq ....................................................................................... 4 2.2 The War of Ideas ....................................................................................... 6 3 Products ....................................................................................................................... 7 3.1 Texts ....................................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Statements...................................................................................... 8 3.1.2 Periodicals .................................................................................... 19 3.1.3 Books ........................................................................................... 24 3.2 Audiovisual ............................................................................................ 25 3.2.1 Videotaped Attacks ........................................................................ 25 3.2.2 Films ............................................................................................ 28 3.2.3 Recorded Statements ..................................................................... 30 3.2.4 Songs .......................................................................................... -
No. 589, December 3, 1993
25«1: No.S89 3 December 1993 After NAFTA, Clinton Strongarms Japan, Europe Wilson/NY Times Clinton and leaders of Pacific Rim countries meeting in Seattle at "Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation" forum. U.S. wants to use spectre of Pacific "free trade" as club against European imperialist rivals. u.s. Gears UP lor Trade War Hours after the North American Free Workers marched with red flags to protest ernment. The international airport at that the major unions in Belgium have Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was passed a three-year freeze on real wages and Brussels was shut down by pickets who called a general strike. by the U.S. Congress on November 17 massive cuts in social security decreed put up flaming barricades on the access • Spain: On November 25, hundreds by an unexpectedly wide margin, Presi by the Christian Democrat/Socialist gov- roads. This is the first time since 1936 of thousands of workers demonstrated dent Clinton shuttled off to Seattle where across Spain against "Socialist" prime he had convoked a meeting of the heads minister Felipe Gonzalez' proposed labor of government of the Pacific Rim coun law "reform" which would make it easier tries. The purpose: to use his NAFTA to fire workers at a time when official "win" to extract trade concessions from unemployment is almost 23 percent. The the Asian leaders, to be used in turn as workers' demonstrations, supported by a battering ram against the Europeans. students and community organizations, The aim of Clinton's pact with Canada were called by the Socialist Party-led and Mexico is to reinforce the American General Workers Union and the Work bourgeoisie's economic muscle against ers Commissions as a dry run for a its imperialist trade rivals by creating a general strike. -
What Does the Plot Against Gov. Whitmer Tell Us About Right-Wing Domestic Terrorism?
THE BROOKINGS INSTITUTION THE CURRENT: What does the plot against Gov. Whitmer tell us about right-wing domestic terrorism? Friday, October 9, 2020 Host: Adrianna Pita, Office of Communications, Brookings Guest: Vanda Felbab-Brown, Senior Fellow, Security and Strategy, Brookings (MUSIC) PITA: You’re listening to The Current, part of the Brookings Podcast Network. I’m your host, Adrianna Pita. On Thursday, 13 men were arrested in Michigan as part of a plot to overthrow the state government and kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in particular. With us to discuss what's happened in Michigan, and particularly the threat of right-wing domestic terrorist groups is Vanda Felbab-Brown, a senior fellow in the security and strategy project here at Brookings. Vanda, thanks for talking to us today. FELBAB-BROWN: My pleasure. PITA: What do we know so far about this plot and the men involved? FELBAB-BROWN: Well, the plot that was unveiled yesterday, following the arrests the night before, is extraordinary. At the core it involves the plan to kidnap Governor Gretchen Whitmer and subject her to a trial by a set of men who belong to two militia groups, one of which calls itself the Wolverine Watchmen. But this group in particular is part of a much larger movement of right-wing extremist militia groups that have been particularly active since COVID started, including in Michigan, and have very much had Governor Whitmer in their eyesight. Already in May, there was another foiled attack on her life with a man also belonging to these extremist movements seeking to kill her at the time. -
Iraq: Falluja’S Faustian Bargain
Iraq: Falluja’s Faustian Bargain Middle East Report N°150 | 28 April 2014 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Round Two in Falluja: Sectarian Polarisation ................................................................. 5 III. The View from Falluja ...................................................................................................... 9 A. Past as Prologue ......................................................................................................... 9 B. A Tenuous Unity ........................................................................................................ 10 C. Catch-22 ..................................................................................................................... 13 IV. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 16 APPENDICES A. Map of Iraq ...................................................................................................................... -
False Flag Operation
WWW.TEHRANTIMES.COM I N T E R N A T I O N A L D A I L Y 8 Pages Price 50,000 Rials 1.00 EURO 4.00 AED 43rd year No.14006 Thursday AUGUST 5, 2021 Mordad 14, 1400 Dhul Hijjah 25, 1442 Raisi to be sworn in Tokyo 2020: Iran Energy Ministry unveils Imam Mosque: as Irani president weightlifter Davoudi water, electricity elegant, iconic, and today Page 2 snatches silver Page 3 training system Page 4 visually stunning Page 6 Iran: Reports of maritime incidents Western psywar for new adventurism The Iranian Armed Forces have de- coast of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). nounced recent contradictory reports Citing maritime security sources, the False flag operationSee page 3 of maritime incidents and hijacking in report identified the seized vessel as the the Sea of Oman as a Western “psycho- Panama-flagged asphalt/bitumen tanker logical warfare” meant to set the ground Asphalt Princess. for new adventurism. Meanwhile, The Times of London Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi, newspaper quoted British sources as spokesman of the Armed Forces, made saying that they were “working on the the remarks on Tuesday, after Reuters assumption Iranian military or proxies claimed that “Iran-backed forces” were boarded” the Asphalt Princess. believed to have seized an oil tanker off the Continued on page 2 Loading, unloading of goods up 16% at Shahid Rajaee port TEHRAN- Loading and unloading of goods goes were loaded and unloaded at Shahid rose 16 percent at Shahid Rajaee port, Iran’s Rajaee port in the four-month period.