Narratives of Security Delegation: Analysing the Responses of Strategic Audiences to U.S. Sponsorship of Irregular Armed Groups in Contemporary Conflicts

In war, the use of force is a form of communication designed to persuade the enemy to submit or convince others to support one’s cause. Thus, in an information age, how force is perceived by political actors is a key concern in strategy. Employing a narrative lens – which considers the way strategies are communicated, interpreted and acted on by key audiences – the project aims to critically examine US delegation of warfighting functions to irregular militias in Afghanistan, Syria and Libya. This is significant as security delegation has become a core feature of US foreign policy, with major implications for international peace and security. The project will generate knowledge on the politics of war and test new methodologies in this field.