Militant Groups Research Articles

Тайнопись на стальных магистралях: перехват донесений, дешифровка и защита сведений железнодорожными жандармами

The article examines the activities of the gendarmerie railway police in the Russian Empire during the peri-od from the last decade of the 19th century to the February Revolution, focusing on their efforts to intercept anti-government correspondence and enemy reports, decrypt them, and protect information about the transportation of military goods. The author uses extensive previously unpublished records from the gendarmerie police de-partments of the railways to analyze examples of secret writing (cryptograms) used by revolutionaries. The dis-advantages of the ciphers used include a logical connection between letters in the source text and positions in conditional alphabets, as well as a specific arrangement of letters that ensures that only one position of the condi-tional alphabet can correspond to each encrypted value. Militant groups of political radicals actively tried to re-cruit railway employees, especially telegraph operators, to cooperate in order to receive and transmit information about the passage of trains with valuable cargo. This information was crucial for planning and implementing expropriation actions. During the First World War, the critical importance of communication increased the im-portance of cryptography and cryptanalysis. To encrypt messages about the state of Russian railways, the enemy used an extensive arsenal of techniques, such as replacing keywords in texts by established methods; using ci-pherbooks containing various code combinations, and a combination of values replacement and rearrangement according to the developed matrices. The war gave an impetus to the development of cryptography, as ciphers became more complicated for cryptanalysts to decipher. The concealment of the contents of spy reports was en-sured not only through the transformation of texts but also through sophisticated methods of packaging infor-mation carriers in luggage, among food products, and the use of special ink. In charge of decryption, the railway gendarmes largely depended on the special department of the Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Af-fairs and the Ministry of War. These agencies provided the necessary keys. In turn, the railway gendarmerie gained valuable experience in intercepting letters containing secrets when they were transported by rail.

Militarização, milicianização e gestão do crime na cidade neoliberal

Abstract The article begins with a theoretical review of the theses on new security management mechanisms developed over the last forty years in the global North, such as "zero tolerance" and "new military urbanism". Then, it explores the nexus between neoliberalism, mega-events, inequalities, and punishment. As an empirical reflection, we focus on the Federal Intervention in Rio de Janeiro's Public Security in 2018. Thus, we aim to contribute to a research agenda that explores the links between new urban designs, differential population management, punishment, and neoliberal capitalism. We also aim to show that Brazilian manifestations of these processes have contributed to changes in the country's social and political arrangements, mainly by strengthening militia groups and the logic supporting them.

Resurgence and Response: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Pakistan's Counter-Terrorism Strategies amidst Rising Terrorism Threats

The current review paper critically examines the effectiveness of Pakistan's current counter-terrorism policies in the context of the resurgence of terrorism. This paper is based on a systematic review of the relevant themes and addresses the successes, challenges, and complexity entailed in Pakistan's counter-terrorism measures. The prolonged military campaigns have been instrumental in breaking the backbone of the terrorist group, which has led to a significant decline in the number of events and deaths. Nevertheless, there are still many questions related to the viability of these achievements. Some of the critical challenges include long-lasting stability, reconstruction of regions in conflict, re-emergence of threats from extremists, etc. A significant criticism of Pakistan's counter-terrorism strategy lies in its selectivity when it comes to handling specific militant groups. In addition, the paper also points out the socio-political and economic dynamics that allow for acts of terrorism. These factors are political instability, socio-economic gaps, and regional and international repercussions. It also discusses profound internal security lacunas, human rights issues and financial challenges – the case of Pakistan being put on the Financial Action Task Force's 'Grey list' is raised. The paper concludes that although the counter-terrorism policies in Pakistan have achieved significant successes, adopting a comprehensive strategy to balance security interests and socio-economic development should be blended with human rights considerations. Addressing both external and internal threats is required for proper accountability of the terrorism menace to build lasting peace. Keywords: Terrorism, Resurgence of terrorism, Counter-terrorism policy, Effectiveness, Pakistan

THE METHOD OF OPTIMIZING THE DISTRIBUTION OF RADIO SUPPRESSION MEANS AND DESTRUCTIVE SOFTWARE INFLUENCE ON COMPUTER NETWORKS

Context. Currently, generalized methodical approaches to the development of scenarios of complex radio suppression and electromagnetic influence of typical special telecommunication systems have been developed. However, during the development of possible cases for the complex application of radio suppression and destructive software influence,the problem of optimizing the resource of these means and its distribution according to the goals of radio suppression and objects of destructive computer influence arose, which has not yet been fully resolved.Especially in the literature known to the authors, there is no method for optimizing the resource distribution of radio and computer influence, used for the development and practical implementation of optimal scenarios of destructive influence on computer networks of enemy military groups in military operations.
 Therefore, it is necessary to formulate a problem and develop a method of optimizing the distribution of the resource of radio suppression and destructive software influence for the development of possible scenarios of the enemy’s violation of information exchange in a standart telecommunication network.
 Objective. The purpose of the research is to develop a method for optimizing the distribution of the resource of radio suppression and destructive software influence for the development of scenarios of information exchange violations by the enemy in the telecommunications network.
 Method.To achieve the purpose of the research, the methods of nonlinear optimization of heterogeneous resource distribution, mass service theory, and expert evaluation were comprehensively applied and developed in the field of modeling of information conflict.
 To determine the coefficients of protection of objects from radio-electronic and destructive computer influence, expert evaluation methods are used, in particular, the method of frequencies of preferences of the decision-maker using the Thurstone method. This method requires only one expert (a decision-maker), minimal communication time with him, minimal expert information (full ordering of weighting factors) and can be applied with a small number of evaluated weighting factors.
 To solve the problem of optimal distribution of a heterogeneous resource of means of destructive influence, to ensure the value of the multiplicative objective function of an arbitrary form is not less than the given one, the method of successive increments is applied.
 To determine the efficiency indicator of information exchange violation, the methods of mass service theory are applied, which allows to formalize special telecommunication systems as a set of mass service systems – subsystems of digital communication and computer networks.
 Results. The formulated problem and the entered indicators made it possible to solve the problem of determining the minimum resource of means of destructive influence and their optimal distribution according to the purposes of radio suppression on the objects of destructive program influence in order to achieve the required level of disruption of the efficiency of information exchange in special telecommunication systems.
 Conclusions.According to the results of the article, a method for optimizing the distribution of the resource of radio suppression and destructive software influence has been developed for the development of possible scenarios of information exchange violations by the enemy in a typical telecommunications network.The verification of the proposed method was carried out by comparing the theoretical results with the results of simulated modeling of scenarios of violation of the information exchange in the telecommunications network by the enemy.

SUFI SHRINES AND POLITICS OF NEOPATRIMONIALISM: ANALYSIS SINCE TWENTIETH CENTURY

Since the inception of Sufi fraternities, the political elite sought patrimonial relations with them due to their socio-religious prestige, but the twentieth century witnessed the transformation of these relations from patrimonial to neopatrimonial, based on the exchange of services. This paper develops its argument further that sajjadah nashins or care takers of Sufi shrines gave their support in exchange to politico-economic benefits with taking the examples of African and Asian Muslim countries. This research is a qualitative analysis of this mutual exchange based relations of services and benefits, as an impact of growing consumerism in the countries under colonial rule, since the twentieth century. Based on historical empiricism this research finds that those states where political elite saw Sufi fraternities as a potential threat also went through a transformation after the incident of 9/11, for Sufism was categorized as a tolerant side of Islam in contrast to intolerant Islamic militant groups.

Stereotip Peran Gender di Jaman Edo dalam Drama Asa ga Kita

The Edo Period (1868-1912) was the era when Japan was under the rule of a class government or military group. The class system is also a feature of the Edo Period, known as the Shi-Nou-Kou-Sho system. The highest class is samurai or the military, while the lowest class is merchant. Those from the merchant class usually marry the merchant class in an arranged marriage system. Merchant class women had arranged marriages since they were children. The research in this study is how society views women who work in the Edo period, through the drama analysis unit Asa ga Kita. The theory used is Linda Brannon's theory of gender stereotypes.

Evaluating militant decision-making with information science: The Irish republican movement during the “Troubles”

Why do militant groups decide to escalate or deescalate their use of violence in conflict? Examining the case of the “Troubles” in Northern Ireland, we analyze groups that adopt violence as a political strategy and evaluate factors that influence its application. To do so, we adopt a novel empirical approach to the study of militant groups. Drawn from information science, this approach enables estimation of variable influence and uncertainty within structured case studies, and is thus ideal for topics such as militant decision-making where systematic data collection is difficult.

Despite misinformation, low trust, and conflict in Somalia, high demand for vaccines and a negative endorsement effect of non-state authorities

Expanding vaccination coverage in conflict regions is crucial to the prevention of further mutations and outbreaks of COVID-19, as well as of future pandemics, worldwide. However, scholars’ suppositions that low levels of trust and control over the flow of misinformation in these regions may necessitate tailored solutions—in particular, that health advice come from trusted non-state authorities—remain largely untested. To better understand the levels and drivers of COVID-19 vaccine receptivity in conflict regions, we partnered with the United Nations and the Somali Ministry of Justice to field a three-wave panel survey (N1\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_1$$\\end{document} = 1672; N2\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_2$$\\end{document} = 880; N3\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$N_3$$\\end{document} = 908) and vaccine endorsement experiment in South Central Somalia. We observe high overall demand for vaccines (between 90 and 94%), particularly among those who have experienced violence and illness, who perceive high economic disruption due to the pandemic, and who report more favorable views of and exposure to the West and Western-affiliated organizations. The high overall demand is particularly striking given respondents’ low interpersonal trust and considerable exposure to vaccine disinformation. Contrary to scholars’ and policymakers’ expectations, we find that whereas endorsements from government health authorities increase vaccine receptivity, endorsements from non-state customary authorities and extremist militant group Al-Shabaab decrease support for vaccination (− 8 and − 16% points, respectively). Our findings caution against presupposing a need for different approaches to increasing vaccination coverage in conflict regions, and suggest that at least in the short-term, constraints on vaccine supply and access are more likely to bind than those on demand.

Abdullah HAMIDADDIN (Editor), The Huthi Movement in Yemen: Ideology, Ambition, and Security in the Arab Gulf (London, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023)

Abdullah Hamidaddin edited a comprehensive study published by Bloomsbury in cooperation with King Faisal Research and Islamic Studies. The book provides outstanding research on the Huthi movement including sections on its ideology, belief system; and role in reconfiguring one of the oldest and strongest culture and history in the region. The current state of the Yemeni government, that is the divided and insecure rule of country since the Arab revolts in 2011 poses military and political threats to the Arab Gulf States and the Horn of Africa. Yemen hosts paramilitary groups like the Huthis and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula along with unorganized groups belonging to Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) as well as military groups with links to the Southern secessionists. Yemen is a failed state that poses serious insecurities for its citizens and for other states in the region. The underlining socio-economic problems of Yemen in terms of lack of economic activities, food insecurity, and the security of civilians are closely related with the ongoing proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran; the military intervention led by Saudi Arabia since 2015; the internal conflict among three major groups including Huthis, the Central government and the Southern secessionists. Amid all these overlapping elements of the conflict, the nature of the Huthi movement and how it has evolved to be major actor in Yemen require further attention.

TURKIYE'S CONFLICT: POST-SWEDEN HOSTS KURDISTAN WORKERS’ PARTY MILITANTS

This study aims to explain the impact of the ongoing conflict between Turkiye and Sweden after the country hosted militant members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which is considered a terrorist group by Turkiye, the European Union (EU), and even the United States (US). This qualitative descriptive research method uses the theory of interdependence that emerged from a liberalist perspective. This research gets information from various sources, such as journal articles, official reports from websites, and online media. The study’s results show that Sweden’s willingness to accept militant members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party has cost the country Turkiye’s vote to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The recent burning of the al-Quran in front of the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm has also made things worse between the two countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated in his speech that Sweden should seek support from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party militant group to keep their country safe rather than Turkish backing.

Preventing the spread of violent extremism in Africa: An examination of al-Shabaab and Boko Haram and lessons for Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama in Mozambique

ABSTRACT This article examines the growth, development, and spread of Boko Haram in West Africa and al-Shabaab in Eastern Africa with a view to drawing lessons to prevent the similar development of Ahlu Sunnah Wa-Jama (ASWJ) in Southern Africa. Recent developments of ASWJ in northern Mozambique send genuine fears among policymakers and scholars that unless tamed at this early stage, there is a high possibility that the group might spread and engulf large portions of Southern Africa with devastating consequences to peace security and development in Southern Africa. Evaluating the environment that allowed al-Shabaab and Boko Haram to evolve, grow, spread, and take root in Eastern and West Africa, respectively, this article argues that a similar environment exists in Southern Africa and that the fear of the ASWJ becoming a threat to regional security and development in the subregion is not far-fetched. It is therefore important to learn lessons from the two militant groups with a view to proposing viable ways to forestall the spread of ASWJ across Southern Africa.

مشرق وسطیٰ میں امن و امان کے عصری مسائل: تنقیدی جائزہ

The Muslim Ummah has much more problems in the contemporary era. Although, Islam teaches the Muslims to be united, but they are divided due to some reasons. This article is about Ummah’s these interior issues. The narrative methodology is used in it. The Muslim rulers have become the political agents of Neocolonial System after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. They took part in this tragedy and thus the formation of the so-called Israel, a Zionist state, easily took place according to the Crusaders preparation. The establishment of Muslim Caliphate's hope is running out due to the militant trends in the Middle East. Freedom fighters are declaring as terrorists and Islamic political parties are not allowed in politics while the militant groups like Islamic State of ISIS and Yemeni Houthi rebel etc. are ruling in Iraq, Yemen and Syria which are destabilizing countries now. The mutually cold war of the Gulf States hollowing out each other and increased opportunities for Uni-Polar Power who wants to fix Bloody Borders. Lack of unity in the Ummah and inability of our rulers are the cause of crisis of leadership of Muslim countries. The Shiites and Sunnis sectarian conflicts replaced as Rafziyat and Nasbiyat. These both extremist groups want to control the two holy cities of Islam. Iranians should not miss the brilliant chance to regain Jerusalem, otherwise they should face the divine warning of Sufyani before Imam Mahdi.

Introducing ViNSAR: Dyadic Data on Violent Non-State Actor Rivalry

A growing line of research examines causes and consequences of militant group competition. However, empirical work on these topics has limitations. Most quantitative research uses relatively rough proxies for competition, such as counts of groups in a country. Other work uses dichotomous indicators, ignoring the intensity or degree of rivalries. Additionally, many studies examine either terrorist organizations or rebel groups, overlooking cross-type rivalry (e.g., terrorist vs. rebel). We address these issues by introducing time-varying dyadic rivalry data on hundreds of groups – rebels, terrorists, and pro-government militias – in Africa and Asia, 1990-2015. Rivalry levels include denouncements, threats, and violence. After presenting the data, we test the “outbidding” hypothesis: the notion that inter-organizational competition leads to more terrorism. This argument has found support in qualitative analyses, but quantitative tests using rivalry proxies show mixed results. Using our data we find support for the hypothesis. We conclude with research questions that could be addressed with the data.

A - 6 Applying Artificial Intelligence Language Models for Knowledge Integration of Neuroimaging, Health Behavioral Assessment, and Clinical Intervention: Potential Impact on Brain Health in Special Operators.

Specialized military groups like Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel can suffer allostatic overload leading to complex health outcomes characterized as Operator Syndrome (OS). Here we (1) evaluate Brodmann's Areas (BA) brain regions associated with OS-related behavioral health symptoms then (2) explore how DoD/VA-recommended clinical interventions relate to these brain regions using large-scale automated text mining. Neuroimaging reported by Brodmann's Areas and 9 behavioral symptom measures and constructs of interest were extracted from full-text peer-reviewed publications using both rule-based and generative AI natural language processing (NLP) engines. The relationships linking BA regions with behavioral symptoms and the 7 interventions were assessed, with a focus on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) severity. The network connected behavioral health symptoms and 39 of 52 BA regions through 131 interactions. Co-occurring PTSD and TBI associations to BA (counting ≥3 citations) were detected with the precentral gyrus (BA4), premotor cortex and supplementary motor cortex (BA6), middle temporal gyrus (BA21), superior temporal gyrus (BA22), angular gyrus (BA39), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA46). Behavioral interventions of Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy were found to modulate BA 6, with CPT alone also modulating BA 46. Only the pharmacotherapy fluoxetine (SSRI) related to BA6. NLP offers a rapid means of exploring complex injuries in Veterans. Future investigations will test these models using acquired data from EOD veterans and specific neuroimaging modalities (e.g., BOLD fMRI) to determine how they might improve understanding of health sequelae of environmental exposures and inform intervention.

NATO Development by the Early 2020s

We can face the fact of huge military strengthening of NATO in the situation of the two confrontations. The first one is between the Euro-Atlantic community and Russian Federation, the second one is between the USA, the growing number of their partners and China. The article tries to explore the growing of NATO`s power, focusing on the case of its troops` groups, first of all multilateral. The methodical basis of the article is the theory of armed forces building. It perceives the armed forces as permanently evolving essence. The theory combines induction and deduction methods, can successfully answer the questions, which are difficult for some “big theories”, also in the situation when the predicting the world order is rather problematic. The author shows the evolution of multilateralism (from non-advanced to advanced) in the sphere of creation of common military groups by member states on the example of NATO. The change in the degree of European continental member countries "military machines" integration in NATO is presented as well as the perception of the tendency by the USA. In its activity the Alliance turns around 150 degrees. The new old key tasks are the deterrence of Russia and also containment of China. It means that the real challenges which are the risks of instability now are purely secondary tasks. The article covers the process of NATO Response Force (as the key element of power) strengthening, also the creation of Forward Presence Force in Eastern Europe. The scientific paper stresses that the decisions of Madrid summit (2022) are aimed at not only growing of NATO`s military potential, but also the ultimate integration of all types of military groups into a single whole. In this regard the factor of Russian special military operation in Ukraine has become the occasion, but not the reason of carefully planned and consistently implemented process of the return to the Alliance the role of the enormous collective power bearer for the Euro-Atlantic community.

Conceptualizing the European military-civilian-industrial complex: the need for a helicopter perspective

ABSTRACTIn his 1961 farewell address, US President Eisenhower coined the term “military-industrial complex,” referring to the coalescing of military, industrial, and political interest groups. In contemporary Europe, the military-industrial complex is arguably transforming into a complex with a noteworthy commercial civilian dimension, blurring traditional military and arms-focused understandings of European defence and security. Our emphasis on an added corporate civilian component captures the expansion of defence and security beyond the traditional military domain. Coalescing of industry and politics is observed in Europe, blurring the military-civilian divide, technologically as well as in organization and governance, particularly through public-private partnerships. Eisenhower, himself a decorated WWII general, warned of how the US military-industrial complex could lead to “disastrous use of misplaced power.” Rather than reiterating such a conclusion in the European context, our paper examines how the European military-civilian-industrial complex is emerging, looking at how elite participants shape the public-private structure of the complex, and specifically how policies on dual-use and emerging technologies influence developments in Europe. The focus herein is on novel actors, characteristics, and the European Union and charts out defining conceptual features of the defence and security industry in Europe.

The Role of Social Media in Propagating the Religious' Popular Narratives and Radicalization

This research work is about the use of social media by different militant organizations to radicalize people and propagate different religious popular narratives, which are circulating in our society via social media. Social media has lowered the entry barrier of radicalism through different mediums of social media, which are used intentionally by different militant organizations and groups. Social media is a very strong and convincing medium in this technological era most people have internet access and use social media widely. In this paper different platforms of social media are discussed one by one, and how radical groups use these sources of social media to get the moral and financial support of the people, making them radical in their thoughts and extreme in their actions.

Conflicts in the Middle East and Prospects for their Resolution

The article analyzes the origins, causes, a brief history, participants, external players of regional confl icts in the Middle East, development dynamics and prospects for their resolution. The author comes to the conclusion that by now most of the Middle East protracted confl icts have been frozen, but there are sporadic outbreaks of violence and provocations, accompanied by mutual rocket and artillery strikes and shelling. Mostly, such incidents take place on Israel's borders with the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria. The Israeli Air Force is carrying out missile and bomb strikes against military facilities and pro-Iranian military groups in Lebanon and Syria. The Turkish authorities, under the pretext of fighting terrorism, carry out military punitive operations in northern Syria and Iraq, as a result, there are casualties among the Kurdish militias and civilians in the border areas. Local skirmishes and exchanges of blows between US military personnel and Iranian proxy forces in Syria and Iraq do not stop. Missile and drone attacks also target oil and gas production facilities, tankers of Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Persian and Oman Gulfs. In general, a fairly high level of terrorist threat remains in the region. The author believes that the weakening of the position of the United States and its Western allies in the Middle East, the course taken by the countries of the region to diversify their external relations through rapprochement with China, India, and Russia creates good prerequisites for the peaceful resolution of protracted confl icts. This is also facilitated by the normalization of relations between Turkey and Israel, Saudi Arabia with Iran, the establishment of relations with an increasing number of Arab countries with Israel, the return of Syria to the League of Arab States, etc. At the same time, sharp disagreements and fundamental contradictions remain between the State of Israel and the State of Palestine, in particular, over the status of Jerusalem, the occupied Palestinian territories and Israeli settlement activity. Lebanon and Syria have territorial claims to Israel. So far, the process of a Middle East settlement under the auspices of the UN and the quartet of international mediators has been frozen. And if Riyadh and Tehran were still able to overcome the confrontation and, with the mediation of China, Iraq and Oman, began to restore previously broken relations, then the confrontation with elements of a hybrid war between Iran and Israel remains and is fraught with escalation into an armed conflict. In recent years, the unresolved Kurdish problem has become more and more acute. Deprived by Western politicians of the right to establish their own state, the multi-million Kurdish people found themselves divided by the borders of four states, whose authorities are pursuing a clearly discriminatory policy towards their Kurdish minorities. On the agenda is the struggle of the Kurds for equal rights and freedoms with the so-called titular nations (Turks, Arabs, Persians), and in the future the creation of Kurdish autonomous regions or subjects of federations. The author comes to the conclusion that the growing trend towards a multipolar world order dictates the need for a peaceful resolution of regional conflicts and long-term enmity of peoples, creates objective prerequisites for establishing their mutually beneficial cooperation, regardless of national, ethnic, confessional affiliation.The time of domination in the countries of the third world of the colonial principle "divide and conquer" is coming to an end.

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACTS OF MILITANCY AND MILITARY OPERATIONS ON THE SOCIO-POLITICAL MILIEU OF ERSTWHILE FATA

The former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan maintained a unique cultural and traditional identity, playing a crucial role in nurturing peace and stability within the region. However, the region’s tranquility was disrupted by two significant events in neighboring Afghanistan. First, the Soviet military invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 led to the rise of religious fundamentalism. Second, the United States’ invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 saw the disintegration of social and political structures relevant to the tribal society which was exacerbated by the region’s geographical proximity and ethnic similarity to neighboring Afghanistan. The emergence of militant groups in FATA following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan received a substantial response from the Pakistan Army and led to military operations in both the Frontier Regions (FRs) and FATA. These militant groups were able to spread their networks across the region, recruiting significant numbers of local people to their ranks and causing widespread devastation to military installations, mosques, and schools, amongst other key locations. This paper examines the impacts of these political and military events on the socio cultural dynamics of FATA, and the resulting effect on its traditional tribal structure. The paper utilizes a multi-disciplinary approach, incorporating analysis of official government and media reports, experts’ interviews, and independent research on the ground. This research comprehensively explores the impact of religious extremism, ethnic conflicts, and military operations on the socio-political dynamics of the traditional tribal society of FATA. Ultimately, this research provides a deeper understanding of the drivers behind the insurgency and conflict that have characterized this region and support efforts toward peace-building and conflict resolution.

A criação do monstro: sobre milicianos, sujeição criminal e corpo

O trabalho tem por objeto avaliar, a partir da representação dos profissionais da Defensoria Pública do Rio de Janeiro, se a expansão das milícias- enquanto fenômeno criminal no território fluminense- guarda relação com a participação de agentes do Estado nesses grupos criminosos e se, em alguma medida, a atuação dos atores do sistema de justiça, a partir do sentido de corpo, colabora com o aumento do poder dessas organizações. Para atingir a finalidade da pesquisa foram realizadas trinta entrevistas semiestruturadas e a análise qualitativa das respostas possibilitou desvendar que, uma dicotomia entre os grupos milicianos e as facções criminosas do varejo das drogas deu aos primeiros o discurso inicial pacificador em confronto com os bandidos, inimigos sociais a serem combatidos. Dentro dessa lógica de guerra às drogas, a sujeição criminal não atingiu os milicianos nos primeiros vinte anos do século XXI, de modo que puderam, abrigados por uma atuação protetora do Estado a algumas práticas autoritárias dos agentes da repressão, expandir os seus negócios, em verdadeira confusão dos papéis de outsiders e insiders.