Master thesis | Crisis and Security Management (MSc)
open access
This thesis examines the specific mechanisms through which non-state actors involved in the civil wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have purposely targeted, employed, or manipulated water resources...Show moreThis thesis examines the specific mechanisms through which non-state actors involved in the civil wars in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen have purposely targeted, employed, or manipulated water resources and infrastructures as instruments and tools during conflict. The presence of violent non-state actors seeking military expansion, combined with prevailing dire water situations, underline the importance of examining and clarifying the intersection between water and conflict in these countries. To critically examine how violent non-state actors can actively instrumentalize water-related resources and infrastructures to form part of warfare tactics and strategies, this thesis will focus on two specific non-state actors operating in episodes of conflict and analyse the following research question: How have the Islamic State and the Houthis instrumentalized water resources and infrastructures as a part of military tactics and strategies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen?. To study this phenomenon, this research applies the categories proposed by the conceptual model from Gleick who argued that water can become a target or a weapon during episodes of conflict. Chapter 2 provides a critical discussion of the existing academic body of knowledge on the connections between water and conflict before focusing on the literature theorizing the instrumentalization of water during episodes of conflict more particularly. The review of existing relevant literature leads to the theoretical approach employed for the current research project. Next, chapter 3 specifies the research design, including a justification of the adoption of a descriptive comparative case study model, as well as its operationalization. Chapter 4 and 5 apply the theoretical framework on the instrumentalization of water during conflict to the case studies of IS in Iraq and Syria between 2013-2020 and the Houthis in Yemen between 2014-2020. Based on the comparative analysis of the water-related military tactics and strategies of these two non-state actors, chapter 6 provides an answer to the research question and discusses the limitations to these findings. Chapter 7 discusses the conclusions of this study in relation to its academic and practical relevance.Show less
Terrorism has been a controversial and focal point for discussion with many perspectives on the subject.The objective of this thesis is to present the justifications of suicide terrorism, focusing...Show moreTerrorism has been a controversial and focal point for discussion with many perspectives on the subject.The objective of this thesis is to present the justifications of suicide terrorism, focusing on Al-Qaeda and ISIS in Iraq with a comparative analysis. The gendered interpretation is also taken into account to present how this contradicts female participation in terrorism. The purpose of this thesis is to engage in terrorism studies from a different perspective and stress the inclusion of the role of women as this is often underestimated and hence used strategically by terrorist groups. In terms of justifications, this thesis investigates the strategic, social and individual logics set out by Pape (2005) in order to analyse the different reasons behind suicide terrorism and how terrorist organizations can justify their acts in relation to the broader goal. The gendered interpretation concept refers to the existence of masculine and feminine ideals that are connected to specific roles and activities in society. In this sense, prejudice based on gender is often the result and women’s capabilities to perform an attack are underestimated. The similarities and differences of Al-Qaeda and ISIS are teased out in terms of deployment of women and logics of suicide terrorism. The findings show that foreign presence in Iraq tend to drive both terrorist groups to their acts to free the territories. By connecting the Islamic ideology to the organizations, recruitment and support among the communities are facilitated. Individual motivations to participate in terrorism are mostly related to identity and religious attachments. By referring to terrorism as a masculine activity, women’s capabilities are underestimated based on their image and traditional feminine ideals. Hence, the dangers of a gendered interpretation are presented as this strategy can be used by terrorist organizations to conduct deadly attacks with many casualties by deploying women suicide bombers.Show less