Gambling with Violence: State Outsourcing of War in Pakistan and India

In Gambling with Violence, Yelena Biberman tackles a global problem that is particularly consequential for Pakistan and India: state outsourcing of violence to ordinary civilians, criminals, and ex-insurgents. Why would these countries gamble with their own national security by outsourcing violence - arming nonstate actors inside their own borders? Drawing on over 200 interviews, archival research, and fieldwork conducted across Asia, Europe, and North America, Biberman introduces the "balance-of-interests" thesis to deepen our understanding of state-nonstate alliances in civil war. This framework centers on the distribution of power during war and shows how various combinations of interests result in distinct types of coalitions. Incorporating case studies of civil war and counterinsurgency, her book sheds light on how militias, alliances, and South Asian security connect today.

Author: Yelena Biberman
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 07/02/2019
Series: Modern South Asia
Pages: 240
Weight: 0.75lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.60d
ISBN: 9780190929978