Irregular War

Terrorism continues to leave its mark on the world and despite much-vaunted “wars on terror” and other actions it seems to show no sign of calming down. Is the west really so powerless to act? Could it do more? Does it want to? Are radical and brutal terror groups such as ISIS a one-off or are they an indication of a troubling, emerging future? Do we face other perils than “just” terror?

This book seeks to calmly look at matters, noting that so-called marginal majority terror groups are actively utilising asymmetric and hybrid warfare against nation states with often great success. Fear itself can be just as powerful a weapon as the action that may follow. Even advanced, well-equipped countries are suffering and not really making in-roads to cull terror attempts because they are effectively more reactive and defensive than proactive and offensive. Many are still looking for nation-state enemies with structures and behaviours to match, so anything that can come out of left-field may knock them for six.

It is a bit of a challenging read and may suffer from information overload, yet the author does a good job in getting the reader thinking about often unpleasant, difficult and concerning matters. We, the general public, may be powerless individually but we should still be engaged and alert to the problems that we may face; maybe then we can be better-informed and demand more from our leaders. A lot of the information may whoosh over your head, however it does remain a powerful, challenging and considerate book.

Terror groups such as ISIS are not the only things responsible for global insecurity, argues the author, noting that deepening socio-economic divisions contribute to the relative marginalisation of most people across the world. There may also be deep environmental issues due to climate change. Wars over water and foodstuff have been forecast for some time and written off by many as being conjecture and fear-mongering. When people get desperate, for whatever reasons, the next course of action may be very desperate indeed.

This book demands focus. It is not a light read. It is, however, a worthy and interesting read for those who are interested by defence, security and world affairs. It should have a much wider, generalist audience too, yet the book in its current form would be a bit too impenetrable for that.

Irregular War, written by Paul Rogers and published by I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9781784534882. YYYY

‘By any analysis the War on Terror has been a conspicuous failure, but it continues as what appears to be the only way forward.’

So, what exactly has been achieved since the War on Terror began? Does anyone really believe that the world is any safer now then it was 15 years ago? You only need to look at the threat from ISIS in Syria and Iraq, the activities of Boko Haram in Nigeria, the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan, and recent acts of terrorism in Europe to see that this isn’t true. So, what are the factors leading the rise in global terrorism? Why are the Islamist paramilitary movements gaining strength?

‘After 15 years of the War on Terror, there have been more than 250,000 people killed, principally in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the majority of them civilians.’

In this book, Professor Paul Rogers looks how these global terrorist movements are arising in the margins. He makes a case that these revolts are made more likely by the widening global socio-economic divide and by the onset of climate disruption. How can this process be arrested? Professor Rogers outlines a number of changes that would need to be made, especially among the world’s elite communities, and is cautiously optimistic that the changes required can be made.

‘It is particularly difficult from a Western standpoint to understand the perception that it is Islam that is under attack, that it is in retreat in the face of aggression and that must be defended.’

I found Professor Rogers’s book thought-provoking, and will need to reread it to better understand all of the points he has made. Do I agree with all of his conclusions? I’m not sure, but I agree unless we look at the reasons behind the growth in global terrorism, mostly economic, environmental and military factors, we are not likely to be able find the common ground required to make the changes necessary. And if we don’t, what will the world look like in another 15 years?

Paul Rogers is Emeritus Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University and the Global Security Consultant for the Oxford Research Group. He is a leading expert in the field of international security, arms control and political violence with over 30 years’ experience. Professor Rogers is a regular commentator on global security issues in both national and international media, and is International Security Editor for Open Democracy. He is the author of ‘Why We’re Losing the War on Terror’, and ‘Losing Control: Global Security in the 21st Century’.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and I.B. Tauris for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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A frankly terrifying book!

With the terrorist strikes in 2001 in America, and subsequent ones in Europe and other parts of the world since then we live in a more paranoid state than ever before. The Al Qaeda threat was extinguished to a certain extent by action by the USA and others and the security experts considered that the Islamic paramilitary organisations had been in decline.

But they hadn’t gone.

The rise of ISIS, Boko Haram and the resurrection of the Taliban has brought very worrying developments to the so-called war on terror, and once again the west is at war in the Middle East. These groups have moved on from what Al Qaeda was and did and the effect that they are having is quite terrifying, and yet the West really hasn’t grasped what they are or how to deal with them. In this detail and disturbing analysis of the situation, Rogers sets the context of the rise of their power and influence in the region. In our rapidly changing world he details the issues that we need to deal with urgently to starve them of the power base that they are drawing on, including dealing with the scandalous wealth divide in many societies, how climate change will lead to huge insecurity and fragility across the world and how the neo-liberal economy is not fit for purpose.

It is not an easy book and makes for challenging, grim and unsettling reading. But it is essential that people engage politically to press our governments to start to deal with these situations in a sensible and intelligent way rather than throwing money and weapons in and making everything much, much worse.

Paul

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.