Article

At a time when state control is diminishing or nonexistent across growing swaths of the world, non-state armed groups pose a little-understood but important challenge to the United States and other nations. This was true before the tragic events of 9/11 and it remains true three years later. In order to meet this premier security challenge of the modern age, we must gain a much deeper understanding of the ways in which criminal states and non-state armed groups interact.

Non-state actors can be roughly divided into four types:

  • Insurgents who are engaged in a protracted political and military struggle aimed at weakening or destroying the power and legitimacy of a ruling government;
  • Terrorists who spread fear through the threat or use of proscribed violence for political purposes;
  • Militias made up of irregular yet recognizable armed forces operating within an ungoverned area or a weak or failing state;
  • International criminal organizations engaged in one or more type of criminal enterprise that operates across regions and national borders.

These non-state actors become particularly dangerous when they are hosted by or operate in conjunction with illegitimate states – states that are states only in name. In such cases, the state itself becomes a functioning criminal enterprise while continuing to enjoy – and use for illegal purposes – many of the international benefits of statehood (e.g., the ability to issue recognized diplomatic passports; maintain shipping and airplane registries; control border entry and exit points; and collect taxes).

Download full report in PDF

The positions of American Progress, and our policy experts, are independent, and the findings and conclusions presented are those of American Progress alone. A full list of supporters is available here. American Progress would like to acknowledge the many generous supporters who make our work possible.