More won “from peace negotiations than fighting”

Wenger and Mason’s trends and implications of 

“Civilianization of armed conflict”

Excerpting, minor editing by Carolyn Bennett

“The principle of the state monopoly on the legitimate use of force, widely accepted in the West, goes back to state-building processes that took place in Europe over a period of centuries. The state had a monopoly over war, resulting in a specific, official ‘state of war’ during which certain rules of war applied and there was a clear delineation between civilians and uniformed soldiers.

“Under this societal contract, civilians were protected against armed violence through norms and practices that were later formalized in international humanitarian law. …

“[However], the nature of war has clearly changed and the role of civilians is central to this change. The terms ‘civilians’ and ‘soldiers’ are consequently no longer adequate and a plethora of new and more differentiated terms have been proposed, such as ‘part-time terrorists’, ‘refugee warriors’, or ‘civilian augmentees.’…

“[There exists an] ambiguity of human intent and conduct and an ad hoc character of many organized groups using violence.…"

EAST
“At the regional level, the [U.S. invasion of] Iraq played into the hands of those forces and ideologies that strove to incite intra-Arab tensions to escalate into a ‘clash of civilizations.’

“Events in Palestine, Lebanon, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan reveal just how geographical borders seem to disintegrate amid asymmetric conflict...."


WEST

“The number of private contractors in Iraq in 2007 exceeded the number of soldiers there. The highly visible involvement of such contractors in the Abu Ghraib abuses, in unprepared missions (such as that of the Blackwater agents ambushed in Fallujah) and in several shoot-outs that caused civilian deaths has arguably done considerable damage to the credibility of the United States.…"

NON-VIOLENT RESPONSE

“[Therefore] the United States and other governments must ask themselves at what point, in the process of outsourcing military and security functions to private contractors, the benefit in terms of increased flexibility is outweighed by a loss of control over the use of force.

“Democratic states should, as a matter of urgency, clarify what type of operations and under whose authority legitimate means of warfare are under the rule of law.…

“Incentives must… be created for part-time militants to disengage from the armed wings of their factions and join the political process.

“If one believes that people can change, which is a key assumption of mediation and negotiation, then it is not helpful to think in terms of a Manichean [religious/philosophical dualist] worldview in which ‘good guys’ and ‘bad guys’ compete.

“Instead, it will be necessary to create the geopolitical context and appropriate peace processes that foster change in attitude and behavior.

“Experience shows that most rebels and governments begin peace negotiations for tactical and face-saving reasons, but realize during the process that they stand to gain more from negotiations than from fighting.”

•

This month the International Committee of the Red Cross reports —

Every month in Afghanistan, more than 60 people die or sustain disabling injuries from landmines. Since 1988, 90,000 mine victims and other disabled people have had to receive help from the ICRC’s limb fitting and rehabilitation program.

Sources and notes

“The civilianization of armed conflict: trends and implications” (Andreas Wenger and Simon J. A. Mason), International Review of the Red Cross, Vol. 90, No. 872, December 2008

Andreas Wenger is Professor of International and Swiss Security Policy and Director of the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich. Dr Simon J. A. Mason is a senior researcher working at the Center for Security Studies at ETH Zurich, http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc-872-wenger-mason.pdf

ICRC March 8, 2011, http://www.icrc.org/eng/resources/documents/news-release/2011/afghanistan-news-2011-03-08.htm

________________________________________


Bennett's books available in New York State independent bookstores: Lift Bridge Bookshop: www.liftbridgebooks.com [Brockport, NY]; Sundance Books: http://www.sundancebooks.com/main.html [Geneseo, NY]; The Book Den, Ltd.: BookDenLtd@frontiernet.net [Danville, NY]; Talking Leaves Books-Elmwood: talking.leaves.elmwood@gmail.com [Buffalo, NY]; Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza: http://www.bhny.com/ [Albany, NY]; Mood Makers Books: www.moodmakersbooks.com [City of Rochester, NY]; Dog Ears Bookstore and Literary Arts Center: www.enlightenthedog.org/ [Buffalo, NY]; Burlingham Books – ‘Your Local Chapter’: http://burlinghambooks.com/ [Perry, NY 14530]; The Bookworm: http://www.eabookworm.com/ [East Aurora, NY]; LONGS’ Cards and Books: http://longscardsandbooks.com/ [Penn Yan, NY]
________________________________________