In defence of new wars

Kaldor, Mary (2013) In defence of new wars. Stability: International Journal of Security and Development, 2 (1). ISSN 2165-2627

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Abstract

This article reviews the literature on ‘new wars’. It argues that ‘new wars’ should be understood not as an empirical category but rather as a way of elucidating the logic of contemporary war that can offer both a research strategy and a guide to policy. It addresses four components of the debate: whether new wars are ‘new’; whether new wars are war or crime; whether the data supports the claims about new wars; and whether new wars are ‘post-Clausewitzean’. It argues that the obsession with the ‘newness’ of wars misses the point about the logic of new wars; that there is a blurring of war and crime but it is important to address the political elements of new wars; that, although the data should be used with caution, it does seem to offer support for some elements of the new war thesis; and that the argument is indeed post-Clausewitzean because new wars are not ‘contests of wills’ but more similar to a mutual enterprise. It concludes that the debate has greatly enriched the overall argument.

Item Type:	Article
Official URL:	http://www.stabilityjournal.org/index
Additional Information:	© 2013 The Authors
Divisions:	International Development
Subjects:	J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Date Deposited:	27 Mar 2013 13:18
Last Modified:	23 Oct 2024 00:30
URI:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/49500

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