The Anatomy of Resource Wars

Governments, rebels, and warlords have made billions of dollars by selling conflict commodities and have used the money to arm themselves and line their own pockets. But the cost of these conflicts has been extraordinary-more than 5 million people killed during the 1990's, as many as 20 million driven from their homes, and considerable environmental destruction. Renner assesses the anatomy of resource wars, examines a number of specific cases, and discusses efforts to break the link between resources and conflict.