Franchising war to non-state actors

Book Name;

Gambling with Violence, State Outsourcing of War in Pakistan and in India.

Author;

Yelena Bibermann.

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Yelena Bibermann took the microcosm of two South Asian nuclear countries of India and Pakistan to show the macrocosm to its readers: why the two South Asian neighbours are out sourcing the violence to the ordinary civilians, criminals and ex insurgents for their political and strategic motives.

Both harbour and nourish non-state actors this which is obviously very risky for their own national security. Who at any time may turn around at their masters if they failed to meet their ends or any other country give a very high bid than of their present masters.

Also Read: Violence for Peace?

More than 200 interviews, archival research and field in Europe and North America the author introduces “the balance of interest” like “the balance of power” to show us why state and non state actors allies with each other in a civil war.

This peculiar alliance and distribution of power between state and non-state actors serve the vested interest of two sides. The political or state administration uses these non-state actors to evade them in case of any fallout from their activities by pointing out their non-state status. They act as an auxiliary or understood shadow team for the harbouring state.

The seven chaptered book concisely inform its readers about the nature and modus operandi of this state-non-state-alliance with a. historical and present perspectives; starting from the CIA covert operation of capturing and murdering Osama bin laden and their freelance soldiers role in war, in 1971 war Pakistan Army and non-state actors of Jamaati Islami in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), Kashmiri separatists and their alliances with India and Pakistan (Hizbul Mujahedeen and Ikhwanul Muslimoon cases).

Then Pakistan aligning with local tribesmen against TTP and India success in relegating and down grading Naxalites in Assam. The success of Russia and Turkey in calm downing and controlling the Kurdish and Chechen rebels also have been covered in the book. How they strategize to use them for their balance of interest. This is a good read if you are interested in war studies, conflict resolution and world politics and relations.