{"product_id":"armed-groups-9781442226531","title":"Armed Groups","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this age of asymmetric warfare, battles are fought more and more against armed groups of opponents such as terrorists, insurgents, or transnational criminal organizations. This text is the first to categorize armed groups and analyze their characteristics in a systematic way to provide a thorough overview of all types of armed groups and the role they play in todayâs security environment.   Drawing on international case studies and histories, the work analyzes the objectives, strategies, and internal composition of armed groups and the environments that foster them. It demonstrates that armed groups often behave in an âœhybridâ fashion, be it the criminal actions terrorists groups take to fund their goals or the role terrorist actions play in criminal organizations. As such dividing lines blur, governments need to figure out how, where, and when these armed groups are operating in zones of conflict or peace, as well as their motivations, structures, and ultimate objectives. This tho\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eVital read for thinking about one of the principle agents of the new world disorder. -- Dr. James Jay Carafano, Vice President, Heritage Foundation\u003cbr\u003eAn essential and hugely welcome guide to understanding the myriad of armed groups that now operate in an era where irregular warfare is the norm. -- Theo Farrell, University of London\u003cbr\u003eThis volume provides an interesting and insightful view of how today’s armed groups have become a real threat to the international community. Peter Thompson uses international relations theory to give a broad tour of the key aspects of modern armed groups. He not only analyzes their organization and capabilities, but also understands their role as main actors and profiteers in globalization and the manner in which they address the four fundamental issues that affect every group of this type, regardless of ideology or purpose. The author provides an academic framework and clear wording to prepare 'the student, the analyst and the policy maker to take a more rigorous approach to analyzing armed groups, with the aim of understanding the real threats the United States and others face and the way those threats manifest themselves'. This text should also be read by practitioners, since it fills in the many gaps left at the tactical level in addressing the connection between the various levels of defense management and security policy. -- General Carlos Ospina, Former Commander Colombian Armed Forces\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e1. Introduction  Importance of the Topic  What Are “Armed Groups”?  Book Objectives  Armed Groups and International Relations Theory  Conclusion  Discussion Questions  Recommended Reading  Notes   2. Conflict in the Twenty-First Century  Interstate Conflict Decreasing  The “New War” Paradigm?  Irregular Warfare  Role of Geopolitical and Geostrategic Factors  US Participation in Intrastate Conflicts  Armed-Group Threats to the United States  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes   3. What Are Armed Groups?  Distinguishing Between Armed Groups and State Militaries  Common Armed-Group Characteristics  Armed-Group Formation  Challenging the “Nonstate Actor” Label  Discussion Questions Organization  Membership  Ideology  Objectives  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes   4. Armed-Group Archetypes  Insurgents  Terrorists  Transnational Criminal Organizations  Militias  “Commercial” Armed Groups  Evolution, “Hybridization,” and the Crime–Terror Nexus  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes   5. Internal Characteristics  Leadership  Organization  Membership  Ideology  Objectives  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes  6. External Characteristics  Strategy  Tactics  Strategic Communications  External Support  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes   7. Combating Armed Groups  Combating Grievances and the Environment  Military, Political, Legal, and Economic Constraints on Governments  General Countering Strategies  Combating the Armed Group  Conclusion  Discussion Questions  Recommended Readings  Notes   8. Conclusion  Armed-Group Adaptation and Evolution  Future Armed-Group Threats Combating Armed Groups  Three Questions Recommended Readings  Notes Bibliography  Index","brand":"Rowman \u0026 Littlefield","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51039885623639,"sku":"9781442226531","price":37.8,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9781442226531.jpg?v=1750945156","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/armed-groups-9781442226531","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}