Introduction: The phenomenon of non-state armed actors and patterns of violent geopolitics in the middle east

Abstract

This introduction surveys some of the central themes and highlights their relevance to our understanding of the new dynamics of NSAAs before providing an overview of the contributions in the volume. While there exist various subspecies with peculiar characteristics, it outlines the main factors and recent developments that have contributed to the emergence and proliferation of NSAAs in the Middle East following the post-Arab Spring and the hyper-localization of Syrian Civil War. It then focuses on the debates about the NSAAs so as to provide a framework of analysis by highlighting the new components of non-state armed groups in the Middle East.