The Invited Leviathan in Iraq and Afghanistan: Strong-Men, the Afghan Local Police, and the Sons of Iraq
Abstract
Despite robust scholarship on the general theme of state-building, little scholarship exists on the strategies exogenous powers should use in developing states. Further complicating the use of any strategy is the influence of "strong men," local elites who seek to mitigate the influence of the developing state and the exogenous state on local modes of power and influence, often through the development of armed militias. Appropriating the construct of Barnett and Zurcher's "peacebuilder's construct," and utilizing the Sons of Iraq and the Afghan Local Police as case studies, this thesis seeks to explore the relationship among local strong men, developing state governments, and the exogenous state (or the "invited leviathan") in two states (Iraq and Afghanistan) in which U.S. policy has dictated the deployment of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops. Powerful arguments can be made regarding U.S. policy in support of, and against, these militias. The thesis will show that U.S. empowerment of these militias will not only improve local security conditions, but also empower disenfranchised groups at the state level. Understanding the dynamics at play in these circumstances can help inform the nature of future interactions with strong men, militias, and developing governments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA573817
Entities
People
- Michael R. Bush
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School