عنوان

Transnational Arms Flows in the Syrian Civil War

Number

TL21d211wq

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

Transnational Arms Flows in the Syrian Civil War

General Material Designation

[Thesis]

First Statement of Responsibility

Stanek, Megan Malina

Subsequent Statement of Responsibility

Amar, Paul

Date of Publication, Distribution, etc.

2015

Body granting the degree

Amar, Paul

Text preceding or following the note

2015

Text of Note

This paper looks at small arms transfers to non-state actors in the Syrian conflict as an under analyzed aspect of intervention in intrastate war that is both globalized and potentially destabilizing. I challenge the dominant narrative that the international community has failed to intervene in Syria, by pointing to the manifold government-funded arms transfers to opposition groups beginning in 2012. I find that there are two significant networks of arms trafficking: one through Jordan with Saudi Arabian and American support; the other through Turkey with Qatari support. These patterns and rivalries between donor countries have contributed to three processes within the transformation from revolution to civil war: militarization, increased sectarianism, and fragmentation of the opposition. I review two mechanisms of international arms control: multilateral embargoes and the recent Arms Trade Treaty. Their weaknesses, as evident in the case of Syria, are related to the problems of self-monitoring and enforcement by states that have contradictory incentives. Next, I address the related issue of surplus arms by looking at how the failure of disarmament measures in Iraq and Libya had a direct impact on arms proliferation in Syria. I conclude with a discussion of the legality of arms transfers to non-state actors and the need to focus on political rather than military solutions to globalized conflict.

Stanek, Megan Malina

Stanek, Megan Malina

UC Santa Barbara

Electronic name

p

[Thesis]

276903

a

Y