POLI 227 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Arms Trafficking, Blood Diamond, Ivory Trade
27 Jul 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Civil War & Insurgency 2/23/2015 8:33:00 PM
Handelman and lectures- 30 multiple choice
Terrorism often conflates with insurgency
- what factors cause civil war or explain a civil war?
-causative variables- to look for things to be aware of- different ways of
approaching the anaylsis
traditional: focusing on state-level for civil war- whats happening with state
institutions or context
-Rebel and/or state level analysis?
-what motivates rebels to act in civil wars
Policy implications? – depends on point of view- do you focus on
strengthening state institutions or cutting of incentives for rebels
What is the relationship between civil war, insurgency and terrorism?
-We’ll look at the way different groups view themselves- some of them in
the insurgency, terrorism category- some participating have few legitimate
goals, but embrace illicite means for pursuing them
legitimate causes with illegitimate means- can a group use terrorist actions
without being a terrorist groups
What is the logic/rationale of terrorism? Trying to understand terrorism and
why differen’t groups and actos would use terrorist tactics
-how do we define terrorism
What causes civil war?
Levels of analysis:
• understand civil war on different causative variables depending on
the level
Post cold-war internant system?- structural approach- was there a spike in
civil wars after the cold war- reds considered inner-state wars- decrease in
both. But after cold war increase in both, higher rates than innter state
conflict from that point onwards- civil war was common in 21st century- but
it’s really after cold war that there is a higher civil conflict rates
looking at structure- looking at global trends that are causing civil war- like
cold war
• Weak states
• structural level then state level
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
• state level: what is going on in individual states that makes them
more prone to inner state conflict- weak states
• Group level of analysis-3rd one: not focusing on the state in terms
of official institutions and gov.- but the pop. That compromises the
state- reflection with ethnic/religious conflict- is there something
that happens when a certain dynamic happens between certain
group in society- ethnic, religious, divisions, diversity
• 2 other levels of analysis- focus deeper in group level on speficially
what motivates rebels- grievance areas: question of composition of
religious or ethnic groups but are there actually legitimate
grievances that these groups have
o inequality, oppression, political rights- lack of resources and
income relative to others in their community.
o relative deprivation(Gurr, Why Men Rebel)
-Grievance model: whats the cause pushing people
-Greed perspective: rather than see rebels as wronged pop.- understand
through economic incentive that makes civil war attractive for uprising(last
level of analysis)
Rebel Without a Cause?
Greed v. Grievance(Collier & Hoeffler)
• The greed peace- the opportunity or incentive for rebels over
grievance
• Collier- pushing the idea to counter the idealistic portrayls of
revolutionary movements- a lot of rhetoric rebels use to gain
support, what is more is the economic gain for the actors
• Key points- availability of finances and recruits-
• Finances: Primary commodity(raw materials) exports- in on going
civil wars or potractic conflicts-no set end, they just continue- those
kinds are usually undergured at some level by some kind of
commodity presence in the state that rebels can profit off of and
use to their advantage- they get access to them and fuel the
insurgency and civil war and conflict
• ex. Illicit trafficking of diamonds- blood diamonds, gold, minerals,
ores(columbite &tantalum(coltan), copper(fueling finances),
narcotics(coca)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Blood in the mobile
• Africa- increasing focus on specific minerals and ores used for
cellphone/wireless technology- coletone- combitination of other
mineral ores.
• coletone- fueling most conflicts now- specifically in DRC and
elsewhere
• 13 major mines- and 12 of the 13 now controlled by militias-
keeping profit
• trafficking different raw materials- major source for civil
conflict/rebel groups
-Small arms trafficking: is not new but increased attention from UN to curve
it- a lot of emphsasis is usually nuclear level but this is very profitable for
numerous rebel groups
-Poaching?
• est. 19 billion/year from illegal poaching to rebel groups
• last year- Al Shabab part of al qaeda in sumalia and 40% came
from illegal ivory trade and poaching in Kenya
• depends on geographically the conflict is taking place and what they
have access too- leveraging primary commodities and using the
black market
Financing- trafficking of those different things
-Recruits: getting a sizeable part of the pop. To participate in the conflict-
Looking at availability of finances and the fact that recruits usually come
from low income, low education- so cost of taking risk is low- so almost
guarantee high profit return and low cost- poverty
•
Civil War in the DRC- Democratic Republic of Congo:
very large country- a lot of economic resources and primary commodities
-Vast country with immense economic resources, located in central Africa
• on going war- with low and high intensity periods- first in 1998-
2003: government forces supported by angola, Namibia, Zimbabwe
against rebels(backed by Uganda and Rwanda)
• diamonds cooper gold colton
• great lakes region of central Africa- pulls in so many conflict pieces
from group around it
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Causative variables- to look for things to be aware of- different ways of approaching the anaylsis traditional: focusing on state-level for civil war- whats happening with state institutions or context. What motivates rebels to act in civil wars. Depends on point of view- do you focus on strengthening state institutions or cutting of incentives for rebels. Trying to understand terrorism and why differen"t groups and actos would use terrorist tactics. Levels of analysis: understand civil war on different causative variables depending on the level. Post cold-war internant system?- structural approach- was there a spike in civil wars after the cold war- reds considered inner-state wars- decrease in both. Greed perspective: rather than see rebels as wronged pop. - understand through economic incentive that makes civil war attractive for uprising(last level of analysis) Illicit trafficking of diamonds- blood diamonds, gold, minerals, ores(columbite &tantalum(coltan), copper(fueling finances), narcotics(coca)
