| ID | 182462 |
| Title Proper | Steps-to-War Theory and Interstate Wars in the Middle East |
| Other Title Information | is State-Sponsored Terrorism Another Escalating Step? |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Khan, Akbar |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | I employ Steps-to-War theory to analyze interstate wars in the Middle East by adding an additional escalating step: state sponsorship of non-state actors. Remarkably, however, the present scholarship completely overlooks a comprehensive assessment of the impacts and roles of state-sponsored terrorism on escalation of interstate militarized conflicts. None of the conflict studies focuses on state-sponsored terrorism and escalation of interstate conflict. This gap still exists despite a remarkable growth in the conflict literature. This article argues that the Steps-to-War thesis is a useful framework for understanding why states end up fighting wars by answering the questions: How does state-sponsored terrorism escalate interstate conflict? And how does each step intertwine with other steps and make war more likely? This paper’s primary argument is that state-sponsored terrorism increases the likelihood of war by providing another escalating step in conjunction with other steps and, therefore, aligns with Steps-to-War theory, and is one of the leading escalating factors. Ultimately, this article argues that this claim has a solid basis, and the Middle Eastern cases vividly demonstrate the escalatory ability of state-sponsored terrorism because state-sponsored terrorism interacts with and reinforces other escalating factors. |
| `In' analytical Note |
Journal of Asian and African Studies Vol. 56, No.7; Nov 2021: p.1521-1537 |
| Journal Source | Journal of Asian and African Studies 2021-10 56, 7 |
| Key Words | Middle East ; State-sponsored terrorism ; Rivalry ; Interstate War ; Conflict Escalation |