Resources, Options, and Preferences in War
Resources, Options, and Preferences in War
This chapter discusses the resources and options available to those fighting in civil wars. Rebel groups need three main types of resources: military, economic, and political. Military resources include arms and ammunition, communications equipment, training, and manpower. Economic resources consist of financial means to purchase military goods and to pay soldiers; opportunities for looting, trade and barter, and agricultural production; and the profits made through the sale of natural resources. Political resources include access to information, diplomatic support, safe haven in a neighboring country, and legitimacy. Access to resources is central to defining the options available to a rebel group for continuing a war. As resources decline, a rebel group faces more limited options and finds it more difficult to sustain a war. The elimination of the war option provides the best opportunity for successful negotiations and the implementation of a peace agreement.
Keywords: military resources, economic resources, political resources, rebel groups, war options, peace agreements, civil wars
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