Robert J. Bunker

This work is the third Small Wars Journal anthology focusing on radical Sunni Islamic terrorist and insurgent groups. It covers this professional journal’s writings for 2015 and complements the earlier Global Radical Islamist Insurgency anthologies that were produced as Vol. I: 2007–2011 (published in 2015) and Vol. II: 2012–2014 (published in 2016). This anthology, which offers roughly five hundred pages of additional analysis, follows the same general conceptual breakdown as the earlier works, and is divided into two major thematic sections—one focusing on jihadi terrorism, insurgency, and the Islamic State in context and the other focusing on US-allied policy and counter-jihadi and counter–Islamic State strategies.

A Small Wars Journal Anthology

Jihadi Terrorism, Insurgency, and the Islamic State

John P. Sullivan

The fifth Small Wars Journal—El Centro anthology spans online journal and blog writings for all of 2015 with a thematic focus on narcoterrorism and impunity in the Americas. This anthology is composed of an About SWJ and Foundation section; a memoriam to our friend and colleague, George W. Grayson; an acronym listing; a foreword; an introduction; twenty-eight chapters; a postscript; anthology notes; and notes on its twenty-three academic, governmental, and professional contributors.

Narcoterrorism and Impunity in the Americas

The intent behind this book was to bring together a team of defence and national security scholars and real-world military and law enforcement operators to focus on the topic of "Non-State Threats and Future Wars". The book is divided into four main sections: The first concerns theory. The second section concerns non-state threats and case studies, providing an overview of non-state threats ranging from organized crime networks to cartels, gangs and warlords. The third section is based on counter-OPFOR (opposing force) strategies which detail advanced concepts, urban battlespace environmental perceptions, weaponry, intelligence preparation, networked force structure and C41. The fourth and final section contains an archival document from the late 1987 period concerning early Fourth Epoch War theory, and never before published interviews with Chechen commanders and officers who participated in combat operations against Russian forces in the 1994-96 war.

Non-state Threats and Future Wars

Blood Sacrifices contributors: - Dawn Perlmutter, Ph.D. - Robert J. Bunker, Ph.D. - Marc W.D. Tyrrell, Ph.D. - Paul Rexton Kan, Ph.D. - Lt.Col. Lisa J. Campbell, B.A., SME Beheadings - Tony M. Kail, B.A., SME Esoteric Religions - Pamela Ligouri Bunker, M.Litt., M.A. - Charles Cameron, B.A., SME Religious Violence - SA Andrew Bringuel, II, M.A., SME Criminal Extremism - Jo?se de Arimate?ia da Cruz, Ph.D. - Mark Safranski, M.A., M.Ed. - Alma Keshavarz, M.P.P., Ph.D. Student - Pauletta Otis, Ph.D. The acknowledgment that blood sacrifice, particularly human sacrifice, actively occurs in the 21st century is a pivotal triumph in scholarly research. Twenty years ago, this book could not have been published. In most universities, think tanks, and government research facilities, characterizing any type of murder as sacrificial was viewed at best as a secondary motive and at worst as junk science. - Dr. Dawn Perlmutter

Violent Non-State Actors and Dark Magico-Religious Activities

Blood Sacrifices

Contemporary Mexican cartel use of car bombs began in mid-July 2010 and has since escalated. Given the proximity to the United States, some literally within miles of the border, the car bombings, with about 20 incidents identified over the last 2 1/2 years, should be of interest to local, state, and federal U.S. law enforcement, the U.S. Army, and other governmental institutions which are providing increasing support to Mexican federal agencies. An historical overview and analysis of cartel car bomb use in Mexico provides context, insights, and lessons learned stemming from the Medellin and Cali cartel car bombing campaigns. In order to generate insights into future cartel car bombings in Mexico, the identification of such potentials offers a glimpse into cartel "enemy intent," a possible form of actionable strategic intelligence. For Mexico, steady and both slowly and quickly increasing car bomb use trajectories may exist. The prognosis for decreasing car bomb deployment appears unlikely. If cartel car bombs were to be deployed on U.S. soil or against U.S. personnel and facilities in Mexico, such as our consulates, we could expect that a pattern of indications and warnings (I&W) would be evident prior to such an attack(s). In that case, I&W would be drawn from precursor events such as grenade and improvised explosive device (IED) attacks (or attempted attacks) on our personnel and facilities and on evolving cartel car bomb deployment patterns in Mexico. The authors conclude with initial recommendations for U.S. Army and defense community support to the military and the federal, state, and local police agencies of the Mexican state, and the various U.S. federal, state, and local police agencies operating near the U.S.-Mexican border. The extent of support in intelligence, organization, training, and equipment is highlighted, as well as the extent that these forms of support should be implemented to counter cartel vehicle-borne IEDs and overall cartel threats.

Cartel Car Bombings in Mexico

Pamela Ligouri Bunker

Much has been written about the many economic benefits of globalization and the triumph and spread of democratic liberalism with the end of the Cold War, following the demise of the Soviet Union. This work takes issue with such "wine and roses" perspectives about the future of the Western democracies and their faith-based views on the moral purity of a globalized marketplace. It also questions many of the assumptions found in the status quo reinforcing discipline of international political economy (IPE)—a discipline that focuses on the formal and legitimate economies and the façade they present that international relations and commerce is still dominated and dictated solely by the old Westphalian state centric system. Having highlighted these concerns, this book looks at two major themes. The first theme focuses on the theoretical perception that a "Dark Renaissance" is taking place globally—one in which the Western liberal democracies and its citizens are ill prepared to respond because it exists at the trans-civilization level, bridging the modern to the post-modern world. The second theme focuses on the actual process of state deconstruction that is taking place. This process is leading to what may become the very undoing of the democracies. Drawing together experts from a variety of backgrounds, this work explores the increasing shift away from formal based capitalism and evaluates through case studies how different states are responding to the challenges they face. This work will be of great interest to students and scholars of international political economy.

Dark Renaissance

Global Criminal and Sovereign Free Economies and the Demise of the Western Democracies

Plutocratic insurgency represents an emerging form of insurgency not seen since the late 19th century Gilded Age. It is being conducted by high net worth globalized elites allowing them to remove themselves from public spaces and obligations—including taxation—and to maximize their ability to generate profits transnationally. It utilizes ‘lawyers & lobbyists’ and corruption, rather than armed struggle—though mercenaries may be employed—to create shadow governance in pursuit of plutocratic policy objectives. Ultimately, this form of insurgency is representative of the challenge of 21st century predatory and sovereign-free capitalism to 20th century state moderated capitalism and its ensuing public welfare programs and middle class social structures. It can be viewed as a component of ‘Dark Globalization’ that, along with the emergence of criminal insurgency, is now actively threatening the public institutions and citizenry of the Westphalian state form. This important and groundbreaking Small Wars Journal book is composed of over thirty readings by fifteen contributors.

Plutocratic Insurgency Reader

The timing of Dr. Robert J. Bunker’s new SWJ pocket book is apropos given the increasing intransigence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in both its domestic ‘police state’ security policies and foreign ‘expansionistic’ economic and military activities. This authoritarian regime—bereft of its former Marxist and Maoist ideologies except in name only—under the iron fisted leadership of ‘president for life’ Xi Jinping is increasingly in the news for the many draconian and predatory behaviors and actions in which it is now engaging. Dave Dilegge Editor-in-Chief Small Wars Journal

Robert J. Bunker

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