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Publications by Erica Gaston
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Report 02 Jun 2021
Regulating Irregular Actors
By Erica GastonOver the last 20 years, the US and other Western states have often worked alongside non-state or sub-state forces. What legal obligations do they have to ensure that non-state actors comply with international law?… -
Report 01 Jul 2020
Ghosts of the Past: Lessons from Local Force Mobilization in Afghanistan and Prospects for the Future
Since 2001, the Afghan state and its international partners have mobilized a range of local forces to fill security gaps and confront insurgent threats. What has been the record of these efforts? And how may they impact future dynamics in Afghanistan?… -
Commentary 31 May 2019
The Problem with the Narrative of ‘Proxy War’ in Iraq
By Erica Gaston, Douglas A. Ollivant ..The narrative of proxy warfare can misdiagnose the nature of the threat and help escalate a geopolitical standoff based on what are in reality local actors’ strategic positionings and machinations.… -
Working paper 29 Apr 2019
Legal Pluralism and Militia Regulation in Afghanistan
By Erica GastonThe practical difficulties extend legal accountability to armed actors with grater power than that of the the rule of law hamper efforts to address allegations of abuse with accountability mechanisms in Afghanistan.… -
Web essay 18 Feb 2019
At the Tip of the Spear: Armed Groups’ Impact on Displacement and Return in Post-ISIL Iraq
This web essay disentangles the motivations and strategies of various sub-state forces accused of forced displacement, blocked returns, and related protection concerns.… -
Study 20 Apr 2018
Local Forces, Local Control
By Erica GastonThe threat posed by ISIL provoked mass mobilization across Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) regions. Much greater attention has focused on the larger forces that led operations on the ground, not only the regrouped Iraqi army but also the militias and popular forces converted into the… -
Study 21 Mar 2018
Iraq After ISIL
As the Islamic State of Iraq swept through central and northern Iraq in 2014, Iraqi forces crumbled and state control collapsed. A range of local, sub-state, and hybrid security forces mobilized to fill the gap, helping Iraqi Security Forces retake and hold territory. Although an immediate solution… -
Commentary 24 Oct 2017
It’s Too Early to Pop Champagne in Baghdad: The Micro-Politics of Territorial Control in Iraq
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Commentary 24 Oct 2017
The Micro-Politics of Territorial Control in Iraq
This commentary is related to a larger study on local, hybrid and sub-state security forces (LHSFs) in Iraq. Please see the main page for more findings, and summaries about other field research sites. “What government?” scoffed Abu Ali, a local Turkmen force commander affiliated with the League of… -
Working paper 07 Sep 2017
Security Classification and Right to Information
By Erica Gaston -
Study 30 Aug 2017
Sunni Tribal Forces
By Erica GastonLocal, Sunni tribal forces have been key to recapturing and holding ISIL-held areas. However, different mobilization and control patterns in Ninewa and Salah ad-Din have created different forms of Sunni forces, and may determine how much these Sunni forces contribute to stability or tension in the… -
Web essay 29 Aug 2017
Iraq after ISIL: Tikrit and Surrounding Areas
By Erica Gaston, Frauke MaasShi’a PMF and local tribal Sunni Arab hashd hold off ISIL on the frontline in Dour, but their strong presence, and periodic outbreaks of violence and looting challenge ISF’s ability to maintain rule of law in Salah ad-Din’s capital area.… -
Article 24 Aug 2017
Fracturing of the State
Although Iraq now appears awash in pro-government militias, the majority of the sub-state or non-state groups that exist today are a relatively recent phenomenon. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Saddam Hussein’s strong security apparatus dominated the security landscape. Except for a few notable… -
Study 21 Aug 2017
Iraq after ISIL: Mosul
By Erica GastonOnly fully liberated in July 2017, half of the city is severely damaged while weak rule of law allows ample opportunities for a range of armed actors to intervene in Iraq’s second largest city.… -
Study 16 Aug 2017
Who’s Who: Quick Facts About Local and Sub-State Forces
This backgrounder is part of a larger study on the role and impact of Local, Hybrid or Sub-state Security Forces (LHSFs) in Iraq. The research surveyed the role played by different local or sub-state groups across three governorates, Ninewa, Salah ad-Din, and Kirkuk, and the impact for local… -
Working paper 06 Aug 2017
Literature Review of Local, Regional or Sub-State Defense Forces in Iraq
This literature review is part of a larger study on local, hybrid, and sub-state security forces in Iraq (LHSFs). Please see the main page for more further reports and research summaries about individual field research sites. Regional or community forces, militias, and other forms of local security… -
Web essay 05 Aug 2017
Iraq after ISIL: Qaraqosh, Hamdaniya District
By Erica GastonLocal Christian and Shabak forces vie to police this decimated ghost town and surrounding Christian areas, a part of the larger Baghdad versus Kurdish competition and demographic reshaping of the Ninewa Plains.… -
Web essay 02 Aug 2017
Iraq after ISIL: Qayyara
By Erica GastonUS-supported and -trained Sunni tribal PMF have played a larger role in this relatively stable Sunni area south of Mosul, but tribal revenge attacks, Shi’a PMF on the outskirts, and a recent ISIL takeover of a liberated town illustrate the uneven control and stability even in safe and politically… -
Commentary 23 Jun 2017
Soldier Self-Defense and the Strikes in Syria
By Erica GastonOn Tuesday, U.S. forces shot down an armed Iranian drone in southern Syria, a few days after a similarly justified strike on a Syrian aircraft that dropped a bomb near a U.S. training outpost. Combined with the U.S. decision to ramp up support to Syrian Kurds seeking to retake Raqqa, these actions… -
Study 22 Jun 2017
When Looks Could Kill: Emerging State Practice on Self-Defense and Hostile Intent
By Erica GastonExecutive Summary In the last decade and a half since September 11, armed conflict has been marked by new patterns of warfare. Non-international conflict – conflict between a state(s) and non-state actors – is more likely than direct conflict with other state parties, and is often characterized by…