"War Systems: Local and Global", in Endless wars? Hidden functions of the 'war on terror', Chapter 3, Pluto Press, London, 2006

Abstract

Many contemporary civil wars can be best understood as systems than as contests. The normal assumption is that the aim is to “win” . However, the aims in a war are likely to be numerous, with many of the most important actors being more interested in manipulating (and perhaps even prolonging) a declared war then they are in gaining a military victory. This chapter brings some insights from civil wars into an understanding of the global “war on terror”: significantly, the global “war on terror” and contemporary civil wars share many of the same dynamics. Some of these similarities seem to be inherent in the idea of “war” itself and the legitimacy it habitually bestows on very varied kinds of violence. Other similarities reflect the fact that similar global forces have helped to shape both contemporary civil wars and the current “war on terror”.