Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria

This chapter seeks to investigate the relationship between the competing forces of the Syrian state, radical Islamist groups and foreign military intervention in contributing to areas of limited statehood, which, in turn, redefine the conventional understanding of Westphalian sovereignty as evinced...

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Main Author: Helou, Joseph P. (author)
Format: bookPart
Published: 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15515
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429504570
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429504570-3/fluid-concepts-understandings-redefined-joseph-helou
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author Helou, Joseph P.
author_facet Helou, Joseph P.
author_role author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Santini, Ruth Hanau
Polese, Abel
Kevlihan, Robert
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Helou, Joseph P.
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2020
2020
2024-04-25T14:11:08Z
2024-04-25T14:11:08Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 9780429504570
http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15515
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429504570
Helou, J. P. (2020). Fluid concepts and understandings redefined: States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria. In Limited Statehood and Informal Governance in the Middle East and Africa (pp. 13-34). Routledge.
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429504570-3/fluid-concepts-understandings-redefined-joseph-helou
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
dc.rights.*.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Legitimacy of governments -- Middle East
Legitimacy of governments -- Africa
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Middle East
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Africa
Middle East -- Politics and government -- 21st century
Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Book / Chapter of a Book
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart
description This chapter seeks to investigate the relationship between the competing forces of the Syrian state, radical Islamist groups and foreign military intervention in contributing to areas of limited statehood, which, in turn, redefine the conventional understanding of Westphalian sovereignty as evinced by the Syrian Civil War. It reveals that the narratives and ideas of groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham and Jabhat Al-Nusra describe an ideal type of citizen and state that not only oppose Westphalian understandings but also violate the sanctity of borders, territoriality, government authority in policy-making and extension of control over the population. It explains how ISIS’ state-building project failed due to the group’s insufficient command of resources; faulty legislative framework and distorted practices; failure to influence the part of the population under their control; and lack of recognition, which were all factors obliging these groups to share sovereignty with the Syrian state and foreign powers. It also highlights the role of foreign intervention in achieving the end goal of ISIS collapse, thereby resulting in areas of limited statehood as several foreign players, such as the USA, Russia, Iran and Turkey, adopted strategies that bypassed Syrian state authority. This chapter concludes that while Syrian state forces coupled with foreign support were able to reverse the gains and uproot the infrastructure of Islamist groups from many parts of Syrian territory, the multitude of foreign powers in Syria will most likely play a pervasive role in Syrian politics for many years to come.
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
format bookPart
id LAURepo_aafbf392e5d9cf475f16ab09ae95bb46
identifier_str_mv 9780429504570
Helou, J. P. (2020). Fluid concepts and understandings redefined: States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria. In Limited Statehood and Informal Governance in the Middle East and Africa (pp. 13-34). Routledge.
language_invalid_str_mv en
network_acronym_str LAURepo
network_name_str Lebanese American University repository
oai_identifier_str oai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/15515
publishDate 2020
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
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spelling Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in SyriaHelou, Joseph P.Legitimacy of governments -- Middle EastLegitimacy of governments -- AfricaNon-state actors (International relations) -- Middle EastNon-state actors (International relations) -- AfricaMiddle East -- Politics and government -- 21st centuryAfrica -- Politics and government -- 21st centuryThis chapter seeks to investigate the relationship between the competing forces of the Syrian state, radical Islamist groups and foreign military intervention in contributing to areas of limited statehood, which, in turn, redefine the conventional understanding of Westphalian sovereignty as evinced by the Syrian Civil War. It reveals that the narratives and ideas of groups such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham and Jabhat Al-Nusra describe an ideal type of citizen and state that not only oppose Westphalian understandings but also violate the sanctity of borders, territoriality, government authority in policy-making and extension of control over the population. It explains how ISIS’ state-building project failed due to the group’s insufficient command of resources; faulty legislative framework and distorted practices; failure to influence the part of the population under their control; and lack of recognition, which were all factors obliging these groups to share sovereignty with the Syrian state and foreign powers. It also highlights the role of foreign intervention in achieving the end goal of ISIS collapse, thereby resulting in areas of limited statehood as several foreign players, such as the USA, Russia, Iran and Turkey, adopted strategies that bypassed Syrian state authority. This chapter concludes that while Syrian state forces coupled with foreign support were able to reverse the gains and uproot the infrastructure of Islamist groups from many parts of Syrian territory, the multitude of foreign powers in Syria will most likely play a pervasive role in Syrian politics for many years to come.290 pagesIncludes bibliographical referencesRoutledge, Taylor & Francis GroupSantini, Ruth HanauPolese, AbelKevlihan, Robert2024-04-25T14:11:08Z2024-04-25T14:11:08Z20202020Book / Chapter of a Bookinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart9780429504570http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15515https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429504570Helou, J. P. (2020). Fluid concepts and understandings redefined: States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria. In Limited Statehood and Informal Governance in the Middle East and Africa (pp. 13-34). Routledge.http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.phphttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429504570-3/fluid-concepts-understandings-redefined-joseph-heloueninfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:laur.lau.edu.lb:10725/155152024-07-03T07:00:58Z
spellingShingle Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
Helou, Joseph P.
Legitimacy of governments -- Middle East
Legitimacy of governments -- Africa
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Middle East
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Africa
Middle East -- Politics and government -- 21st century
Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
status_str publishedVersion
title Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
title_full Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
title_fullStr Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
title_full_unstemmed Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
title_short Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
title_sort Fluid concepts and understandings redefined : States, porous borders and transnational militant actors in Syria
topic Legitimacy of governments -- Middle East
Legitimacy of governments -- Africa
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Middle East
Non-state actors (International relations) -- Africa
Middle East -- Politics and government -- 21st century
Africa -- Politics and government -- 21st century
url http://hdl.handle.net/10725/15515
https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429504570
http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780429504570-3/fluid-concepts-understandings-redefined-joseph-helou