Short description:

This book examines how non-state actors (VNSA) emulate and develop military special operation capabilities.

Long description:

This book examines how non-state actors (VNSA) emulate and develop military special operation capabilities.

Building on previous research on Islamic State special operations, the book develops a theoretical framework surrounding a typology of VNSA (militants, proxies, criminal/cults, and mercenaries) to explore variations of non-state special operations, with multiple cases for each category of actor. Understanding when and why VNSA use special operations provides insights into the inner workings of such groups and how they campaign, and also has implications for the proliferation of special operation forces around the globe and its influence on non-state behaviour. This volume contributes to research on the recent trend of non-state actors surprising, and in some cases humiliating, their state opponents. 

This book will be of much interest to students of military and strategic studies, defence studies, and security studies.

"This book is an original and much needed study. Special operations have become a domain of terrorists and insurgents as ever more accessible technology--drones, social media, AI--has expanded their capabilities. From the Islamic State to the Houthis today, non-state special operations have become a significant military concern. Whiteside and Rice have broken new ground in explaining why non-state actors undertake special operations, helping scholars and policymakers think about how better to counter them." 

Carter Malkasian, Chair of the Defense Analysis Program at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, USA

"Whiteside and Rice deliver a fascinating and ground-breaking work. They analyze past examples through the lens of their invaluable method for examining special operations, particularly those mounted by violent, non-state actors, and illustrate their ideas with great case studies and analysis. A fine and original addition to the field of military studies."

Donald Stoker, National Defense University, Washington, DC, USA

"This is a significant contribution to the security studies literature on terrorism and the larger issue of violent groups ... Whiteside and Rice develop an original typology and theoretical approach, then apply their framework to a wealth of examples ... their case studies are diverse, encompassing criminal organizations, proxy warfare, and cults, and ranging as far as Mexico, Sicily, and Japan. Hamas? October 7, 2023 attack on Israel is only the most prominent reminder that the evidence points to important conclusions. Whiteside and Rice?s work is a warning that leaves no doubt: Violent non-state special operations, enabled by the globalized democratization of information and weapons technologies, are on the rise and spreading."

Todd Greentree, former US foreign service officer and member of the Changing Character of War Centre, Oxford University, UK

"Rice and Whiteside crisply and confidently challenge the prevailing paradigm of special operations in this concise, engaging work on violent non-state actor special operations. Practitioners and scholars ignore this challenge at their peril."

James D. Kiras, Dean & Professor, Military Strategy & Security Studies, School of Advanced Air and Space Studies, USA

Table of Contents:

1: Introduction to Non-State Special Operations  2: A Theoretical Framework of Non-State Special Operations  3: Militant Groups  4: Proxy Groups  5: Criminal Groups and Violent Cults  6: Mercenaries  7: Conclusion