2009/10/01 by Alastair Finlan · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Military History and Strategy #Intelligence, Security, War Strategy #Military and Defense Studies #War on terror #Special forces #State (computer science) #Political science #Action (physics) #Use of force #Political economy #Special Relationship #International relations #Law #Spanish Civil War #Criminology #Sociology #International law #Politics
paper · doi:10.1017/s0260210509990398
openalex publication_date 2009/10/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
Abstract The use of force in international relations by the West is increasingly witnessing a greater reliance on Special Forces. This trend has profound implications for state action because Special Forces represent a very different kind of soldier and they possess the inherent ability to transgress traditional boundaries in peace and war. The development and participation of UK Special Forces in the Global War on Terror provides a microcosm of the positive and negative dimensions of using secret military units as the force of choice against insurgents and terrorists in Afghanistan, Iraq and indeed on the streets of London.